Poetry About Jesus and Salvation 

Poetry by Martha Snell Nicholson - Page 2

"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6)

UNTIL HE COMES

Keep Thou me ever hungry, Lord,

Until I famish for Thy Word --

Thy Word, which is my meat, my bread,

Thy Word, which feeds whenever read.

Keep Thou me every thirsty, Lord,

Stay not Thy hand till Thou has poured

Thy living water in my cup

Which I am humbly holding up.

Keep me dissatisfied, dear Lord;

Use Thou Thy Spirit's shining sword

To pierce my foolish self-esteem

And rouse me from my empty dream.

Keep me awake, that I may hear

Thy bugles calling, loud and clear.

Stir Thou my sluggish soul to fight

For Thee beneath Thy banner bright.

Yes, this my prayer, that I may be

Hungry and thirsty, Lord, for Thee,

Dissatisfied with self, awake!

And this I ask for Jesus' sake.

"And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty: just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints" (Revelation 15:3)

COVERING MANTLE

Marvelous Thy ways, O God;

Grasses covering the sod,

Blossoms springing from the clod,

Roses where Thy feet have trod,

Beauty everywhere.

Blesssed Lord, I plead of Thee,

Canst Thou make a soul like me

Lovely for eternity,

Fit to dwell where there must be

Beauty everywhere?

Cover with that robe of Thine

My guilty heart, incarnadine.

Appareled thus, I too shall shine

With radiant glory - Thine, not mine!

Beauty everywhere!

"Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanskgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7).

THE RED SEA

When the children of Israel crossed the sea

It comforts my heart to know

That there must have been many timorous ones

Who faltered and feared to go;

Feared the ribbon of road which stretched

Ahead like a narrow track

With the waves piled high on either side,

And nothing to hold them back --

Nothing to hold them back be a Hand

They could neither see nor feel.

Their God seemed distant and far away,

And only the peril real.

Yet the fearful ones were as safe as the brave,

For the mercy of God is wide.

Craven and fearless, He led them all

Dry shod to the other side.

And I think of the needless terror and pain

We bring to our own Red Sea.

Strengthen Thy timorous ones, dear Lord,

And help us to trust in Thee!

"And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye; for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said, Come, see the place where the Lord lay (Matthew 25:5-6).

THE WOMEN AT THE TOMB

O empty tomb, we came to mourn

Beside you in the dawn,

And now we stand amazed to find

Your holy Tenant gone.

Surely never dwelt before

This still joy in a tomb,

This hunt of brushing wings, this scent

Of lillies come to bloom!

Nor does this sepulcher of His

Know door or fretted bars,

But through it blows the living wind,

And it is roofed with stars.

Its very silence cries aloud.

Shout, shout the news abroad

That from this empty tomb walked forth

The living Son of God!

"Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou has the words of eternal life" (John 6:67-68),

JESUS, MY LORD

Whom do I hunger for?

Thee, Living Word!

Feed Thou my famished soul,

Jesus, my Lord.

Who is my cleansing Fount?

From sin, abhorred,

Who else can wash me save

Jesus, my Lord?

How does the battle go?

Jesus, my Lord,

No man can stand before

Thy Spirit's Sword!

Whom am I waiting for?

Thy footfall, heard,

Raptures my yearning soul,

Jesus, my Lord.

Soaring on eagle wing

Past planets toward Mansions

Thy hands have reared

Jesus, my Lord

Dazzled by heaven's gate ...

His voice, adored,

"This is thy home, My child."

Jesus, my Lord!

"Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts; for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh." (James 5:7-8)

HIS FOOTFALL DRAWETH NEAR

Above the cannon's roar we hear His voice,

"Let no man take thy joy, My Bride! Rejoice!

"Behold, I have prepared a place for thee,

That where I am, there thou shalt ever be.

"Look up - hold fast for yet a little space;

A few more days, and thou shalt see My face,"

A few more tasks, to make thy rest more sweet,

A few more sheaves to lay before My feet,

A few more tears, which I shall wipe away,

A few more nights, and then eternal day!"

Above the sound of shot and shell we hear,

With ear of faith, His footfall drawing near!

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which temporal: but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)

YOUR LIGHT AFFLICTION

This your affliction is working for you,

Working for you through the days,

Working for you in the watches of night,

Working for you always;

Laying up treasure for you in the skies,

Weaving a crown for your brow

Far more exceeding in glory the weight

Of affliction which burdens you now.

O blessed affliction, your joy and your gain,

As riches in heaven accrue.

Not wasted, not fruitless, your grief and your pain

Are living and working for you!

"Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 6:1)

GOOD WORKS

Should I take pride in any works of mine?

I read within Thy Word,

If done in my own strength they are to

Thee But filthy rags, my Lord!

And if Thy Holy Spirit works through me,

Accomplishing the task,

Should I take credit then for what He does?

Cleanse me, I humbly ask,

Of pride and self-esteem from praise of men;

May I my being yield

Till I am but the tool within Thy hand,

The pen which Thou dost wield!

BLOOD AND TEARS

Blood and tears, tears and blood,

In a mingled tide, a flood.

Tears and blood, blood and tears,

Like a river down the years.

Tears and blood, by mankind shed

Till, drained of both, pale lie the dead!

O world, drowned in your bitter bath,

Why will you longer tempt God's wrath?

Still your cannon, sheathe your sword,

Flee to Him whose face is toward

Repentant sinners! By His grace

He has prepared for us a place,

A city of eternal day,

Where every tear is wiped away.

No tide of blood save that which He

Shed once for us on Calvary!

Poetry by Martha Snell Nicholson - Page 1

Poetry by Martha Snell Nicholson - Page 3

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