Art thou sunk in depths of sorrow

E677
1
Art thou sunk in depths of sorrow
Where no arm can reach so low?
There is One whose arms almighty
Reach beyond thy deepest woe.
God th' Eternal is thy refuge,
Let it still thy wild alarms;
Underneath thy deepest sorrow,
  Are the everlasting arms.
 
Underneath thee, underneath thee,
Are the everlasting arms,
Everlasting, everlasting,
  Are the everlasting arms.
2
Other arms grow faint and weary,
These can never faint, nor fail;
Others reach our mounts of blessing,
These our lowest loneliest vale.
O that all might know His friendship!
O that all might see His charms!
O that all might have beneath them
  Jesus' everlasting arms.
3
Underneath us, O how easy;
We have not to mount on high,
But to sink into His fulness,
And in trustful weakness lie.
And we find our humbling failures
Save us from the strength that harms!
We may fail, but underneath us
  Are the everlasting arms.
4
Arms of Jesus! fold me closer,
To Thy strong and loving breast,
Till my spirit on Thy bosom
Finds its everlasting rest;
And when time's last sands are sinking,
Shield my heart from all alarms,
Softly whispering, "Underneath thee,
  Are the everlasting arms."
8
Jim Smith

Mansfield, Ohio, United States

A B Simpson must have experienced this grief and inspired him to pen this hymn on grief and God’s holding arms. I have experienced such grief and total hopelessness. At that time I gave up on life but God held me in His arms. It was several years later that I realized Christ was there all the time and would not let me hurt myself. This experience of grief has now brought me to a deep peace and trust in my Lord God.


Maurice Ward

Columbus, Ohio, United States

Arms of Jesus! fold me closer,

To Thy strong and loving breast,

Till my spirit on Thy bosom

Finds its everlasting rest;

One of the His disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining on Jesus' bosom

John 13:23


Nonyem Abena

Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana

I thank the Lord for His everlasting arms. My prayer is that I sink into His fulness and in trustful weakness lie, that my humbling failures save me from the strength that harms! And not me alone.....but all who call upon His name.....Amen.


Pelita CVH

Sinacaban-Evansville, MIS.OCC-IN

O what a comfort! Underneath thy deepest sorrow, Are the everlasting arms.


Frank Pytel

Chicago, Illinois, United States

When things are so bleak, and lonliness accompanies our sorrow, our way and support can only be found in Christ. He comes to us, and remains there when we can't go on. Somehow the touch of His hand or the holding strength of His arm does something to release us within. At times His supporting hand or arm comes in one of His members, who can be with us (1 Cor. 12:26a; Rom. 12:15b). Whether it is His direct touch when we are alone, or the loving touch of a member of His body, it is all Christ.


Steve Miller

Detroit, MI, United States

ref. Deut. 33:27

When I have fallen due to my own failure or for another reason, it is wonderfully comforting to know that underneath me is something much better than any safety net - His everlasting arms.

I especially like v3:

And we find our humbling failures

Save us from the strength that harms!


Jason Lee

Anaheim, CA

"Underneath thy deepest sorrow are the everlasting arms." - What a marvelous comfort for a child of God to discover that at the bottom of sorrow are His everlasting arms! Upon arriving at the end of our reach (underneath thee), we experience the endless of time (everlasting) arms! This hymn manages the element of surprise (trustful weakness, strength that harms) with the strong encouragement of His almighty, far reaching, and everlasting arms. After everything sinks, faints, fails, and (time) runs out, we but sink into His fulness, into His everlasting arms. It reminds me of another Simpson's hymn that we are "sinking into God."


Jess Pfleegor

Wailuku, HI, U.S.A.

I like it because it lets me know there is One who can reach me in my lowest grief.

One time I was praying and and the bottom just opened up and all my sorrow just spilled out in tears to the Lord. The Lord really met me and carried me through the night.