High Road or Low Road by Martha Snell Nicholson

 

High Road or Low Road

Whatever path Thou takest me-

It matters not which road it be,

If it but lead me home to Thee.

O joy, O bliss beyond compare

If Thou shouldst call me from the air,

To rise at last and meet Thee there!

Yet in my longing heart I know

If through the valley I must go,

I would not laggard be, nor slow;

For Thou wouldst closely hold my hand

And lead me through that shadow-land

To heaven's bright and blessed strand.

It matters not. That road is best

Which leads me soonest to Thy breast

Whereon this weary soul may rest.

Martha Snell Nicholson

 

Philippians 1:20-21 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

The Things that Remain by Annie Johnson Flint

 

The Things That Remain

(Heb. 12:27)

Times change and men change with them,
For still the New allures,
Their purpose falters ever,
No plan of theirs endures;
Strange gods demand their worship,
Strange creeds that come and go.
Men's thoughts and men's opinions
Are tides that ebb and flow.

On ever-shifting currents
Their minds drift to and fro,
Their wavering wills are shaken
By all the winds that blow;
But steadfast as the mountains,
And surer than the sea,
And fixed as are the heavens,
God is and God shall be.

And though the little hills shall melt,
The mighty mountains move,
Though earth and heaven shall pass away,
And suns unstable prove,
Though faithless stars shall cease to shine,
And there is no more sea,
Still changeless as the changeless God
The Word of God shall be.

Annie Johnson Flint

Hebrews 12:27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

Pilgrims In the Wilderness

Pilgrims In the Wilderness

We're pilgrims in the wilderness;

Our dwelling  is a camp;

Created things, though pleasant,

Now bear to us death's stamp.

But onward we are speeding,

Though often let and tried;

The Holy Ghost is leading

Home to the Lamb, His bride.

With fellow pilgrims meeting,

As through the waste we roam,

'Tis sweet to sing together,

"We are not far from home!"

And when we've learned our lesson,

Our work, in suffering, done,

Our ever loving Father

Will welcome every one.

We look to meet our brethren

From every distant  shore;

Not one will seem a stranger,

Though  never seen before:

With angel hosts attending,

In myriads, through the sky;

Yet 'midst them all Thou only,

O Lord, wilt fix the eye!

Lord, since we sing as pilgrims,

O give us pilgrims' ways!

Low thoughts of self, befitting

Proclaimers of Thy praise;

O make us each more holy,

In spirit, pure and meek:

More like to heavenly citizens,

As more of Thee we speak.

Mary Bowley Peters

altered

No. 231 in Hymns for The Little Flock

Sing to the tune of - 

"I Sing the Mighty Power of God."

1 Peter 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers

and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

Be Not Anxious – A Poem by Annie Johnson Flint

 

Be Not Anxious

I cannot change the yesterday when I distrusted Thee,

Though all my fears unfounded proved, and shame me now as then;

I cannot promise that my faith will last throughout the night,

Or that, when Thy tomorrow comes, I will not doubt again.

But grant, O faithful Lord and true, that I may trust Thee now,

Just now, each moment of each hour of this Thy present day;

That, looking backward, I may read the record of the past,

And, forward, see Thy steadfast word light all the future way.

With Memory to guard the rear and Faith to lead the van,

And all Thy tested promises like beacon lights to shine,

How can I dread that demon shape of anxious, faithless fear?

For he shall lose his power when I fully trust in Thine.

Annie Johnson Flint

Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Word of the Day - Deep - Part 1

 

Genesis 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

Genesis 7:11-12 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.

Deuteronomy 33:13 And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the LORD be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath,

Nehemiah 9:10-11 And shewedst signs and wonders upon Pharaoh, and on all his servants, and on all the people of his land: for thou knewest that they dealt proudly against them. So didst thou get thee a name, as it is this day. And thou didst divide the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land; and their persecutors thou threwest into the deeps, as a stone into the mighty waters.

Job 38:29-30 Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it? The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.

Psalm 42:7 Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.

O Maker of the mighty deep

Whereon our vessels fare,

Above our life’s adventure keep

Thy faithful watch and care.

In Thee we trust, whate’er befall;

Thy sea is great, our boats are small.

- Henry J. Van Dyke -

Continue Reading at The Home Maker's Corner.

I See Jesus - A Poem by Annie Johnson Flint

I See Jesus

I don't look back: God knows the fruitless efforts,
The wasted hours the sinning, the regrets;
I leave them all with Him Who blots the record,
And mercifully forgives, and then forgets.

I don't look forward, God sees all the future,
The road that, short or long, will lead me home,
And He will face with me its every trial,
And bear for me the burdens that may come.

I don't look round me: then would fears assail me,
So wild the tumult of earth's restless seas;
So dark the world, so filled with woe and evil,
So vain the hope of comfort or of ease.

I don't look in; for then am I most wretched;
Myself has naught on which to stay my trust;
Nothing I see save failures and short-comings,
And weak endeavors crumbling into dust.

But I look up -- into the face of Jesus,
For there my heart can rest, my fears are stilled.
And there is joy, and love, and light for darkness,
And perfect peace, and every hope fulfilled.

by Annie Johnson Flint

Hebrews 12:2-3  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.  For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

The Judgment Seat of Christ - A Poem by Martha Snell Nicholson

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. 

The Judgment Seat of Christ

Swiftly and surely comes the day

When I shall keep a tryst.

The focal point of all my life --

The judgment seat of Christ.

Shall I approach that throne with dread,

With fear and stark dismay?

What will confront me, what be read

About me on that day?

I shall not stand a prisoner

Who waits with bated breath

To bear the sentence of the Judge,

If it be life or death --

All this was settled long ago.

But rather I shall stand

A servant, waiting judgment on

The work of heart and hand;

Those works in which my soul took pride

May there be judged as hay

And burned as chaff and stubble on

That all-revealing day.

Oh may there be some little deed,

Some word for Him I said;

Some work the SPIRIT energized,

Some earnest prayer I prayed;

Something entirely free from self,

Or hope of gain, or pride.

Works done for love of Him alone --

These only shall abide.

How would I feel if I should have

No crown of gold to give,

To lay before the feet of Him

Who died that I might live?

May I live my remaining days

Remembering that tryst

Which I must keep with Him before

The judgment seat of Christ!

- by Martha Snell Nicholson

1 Corinthians 3:11-15 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. 

That will Be Heaven for Me - A Poem

That Will Be Heaven for Me

I know not the hour when my Lord will come
To take me away to His own dear home;
But I know that His presence will lighten the gloom,
And that will be glory for me.

I know not the song that the angels sing,
I know not the sound of the harps' glad ring;
But I know there'll be mention of Jesus our King,
And that will be music for me.

I know not the form of my mansion fair,
I know not the name that I then shall bear;
But I know that my Saviour will welcome me there,
And that will be heaven for me.

By J. McGranahan

1 Peter 1:7-8 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 

It Is Finished - A Poem by James Proctor

John 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. 

Matthew 27:48-51 And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him. Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 

It Is Finished

Nothing, either great or small—
Nothing, sinner, no;
Jesus died and paid it all,
Long, long ago.

When He, from His lofty throne,
Stooped to do and die,
Ev’rything was fully done;
Hearken to His cry!

Continue Reading.

Evening Song - Zion's Hill

"For Thou Art With Me"

I know not when I go, nor where,

From this familiar scene;

But [Christ] is here and He is there

And all the way between;

And, when I pass from all I know

To that dim, vast unknown,

Though late I stay, or soon I go,

I shall not go alone.

Annie Johnson Flint  [altered]

I have no control over ads or suggested videos.

Michael Lining Music

The Thousand Word Project - Eventide

On the dewy breath of ev­en

Thousand od­ors ming­ling rise,

Borne like in­cense up to Heav­en,

Nature’s ev­en­ing sac­ri­fice.

With her frag­rant of­fer­ings blend­ing,

Let our glad thanks­giv­ings be—

To Thy throne, O lord, as­cend­ing—

Incense of our hearts to Thee.

Julia A. Elliott

The New Prayer - Poem by Annie Johnson Flint

The New Prayer

Long have I prayed this prayer to Thee -
According to my need, give me
A little strength from day to day,
A little light along the way,
A little trust when fears are nigh,
A little peace when waves run high,
And with Thy love and joy fill up
The blessing in my little cup.

So have I prayed for long, but now -
According to Thy grace, give Thou!
Of my small measure take no heed,
Above, around my puny need
Pour out the treasures of Thy good,
Let Thy great goodness, like a flood,
My meager life fill and o'erflow
Till I unto Thy gifts shall grow,
Give joy exceeding all I sought,
And love beyond mine utmost thought;
Thy riches for my poverty,
According to Thy grace, give me.

Annie Johnson Flint

Ephesians 4:7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 

Ephesians 3:20-21 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. 

Much Fruit - A Poem by Annie Johnson Flint

It is the branch that bears the fruit that feels the knife;

To prune it for a larger growth, a fuller life;

Though every budding twig be lopped, and every grace

Of swaying tendril, springing leaf, be lost a space.

O thou, whose life of joy seems reft of beauty - shorn,

Whose aspirations lie in dust, all bruised and torn;

Rejoice! Though each desire, each dream, each hope of thine,

Shall fall and fade; it is the hand of Love Divine,

That holds the knife, that cuts and breaks with tenderest touch,

That thou, whose life has borne some fruit may'st now bear much!

- Annie Johnson Flint -

John 15:1-5 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 

Worship and Thanks and Blessing - A Hymn and A Story

Worship and Thanks and Blessing

Worship, and thanks, and blessing,
And strength ascribe to Jesus!
Jesus alone defends His own,
When earth and hell oppress us!
Jesus with joy we witness
Almighty to deliver;
Our seals set to, that God is true,
And reigns a king for ever.

Omnipotent Redeemer,
Our ransomed souls adore Thee;
Our Savior Thou, we find it now,
And give Thee all the glory.
We sing Thine arm unshortened,
Brought through our sore temptation;
With heart and voice in Thee rejoice,
The God of our salvation.

Thine arm hath safely brought us
A way no more expected,
Than when Thy sheep passed through the deep,
By crystal walls protected.
The glory was our rearward,
Thy hand our lives did cover,
And we, e’en we, have passed the sea,
And marched triumphant over.

Save as devoted Peter
Betwixt the soldiers sleeping,
Like sheep we lay to wolves a prey,
Yet still in Jesus’ keeping.
Thou from th’ infernal Herod,
And evil expectation,
Hast set us free! All praise to Thee,
O God of our salvation.

The world and Satan’s malice
Thou, Jesus, hast confounded;
And, by Thy grace, with songs of praise
Our happy souls resounded.
Accepting our deliverance,
We triumph in Thy favor,
And for the love which now we prove,
Shall praise Thy name forever.

Charles Wesley

Isaiah 59:1 Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

One of the fiercest riots Charles Wesley ever faced was that at Devizes in February, 1747. The Rev. John Meriton, a clergyman from the Isle of Man, who died in 1753 and spent his last years in accompanying and helping the Wesleys, was his companion.

The mob surrounded the house where they were staying, broke the windows, tore down the shutters, blocked the door with a wagon. Next day they poured water on the house with a hose. A constable carried this off, but they obtained the larger engine, flooded the rooms, and destroyed the furniture. The mob untiled the roof that they might get hold of the Methodist preacher.

At last the friends mounted their horses, and were escorted out of the town by the constable and his posse. ‘We rode a slow pace up the street, the whole multitude pouring along on both sides, and attending us with loud acclamations. Such fierceness and diabolical malice I had not seen in human faces. We felt great peace and acquiescence in the honour done us, while the whole town were spectators of our march.’

When they reached Wrexal, ‘We joined in hearty praises to our Deliverer, singing the hymn, Worship, and thanks and blessing, &c.’

John Telford. The Methodist Hymn-Book Illustrated, pp. 286–87.

-----------

Original artwork by Mary E. Stephens.

The Thousand Word Project - Lantana Brights

The days are glid­ing swift­ly by,
The days so bright and gold­en,
In leaf and flow­er the sum­mer writes
Her po­em sweet and old­en.

Mrs. Leland

Through A Glass Darkly - by Martha Snell Nicholson

Through A Glass Darkly

There seems so little I can know

As on this darkened path I go.

The future looms, a fearsome thing,

Shapeless and dim. What it may bring

My spirit dares not contemplate.

Yet I, a child of God, may wait

Its coming with a lifted heart

And soul serene. My only part

To TRUST. I thank upon my knees

The wise and tender Lord who sees

My future clearly as my past,

And who will lead me home at last.

Martha Snell Nicholson

1 Corinthians 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Word of the Day - Palace

PA'LACE. n.s.  ...A royal house; an house eminently splendid.

- Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

1 Kings 16:18-19 And it came to pass, when Zimri saw that the city was taken, that he went into the palace of the king's house, and burnt the king's house over him with fire, and died, For his sins which he sinned in doing evil in the sight of the LORD, in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he did, to make Israel to sin. [Somehow, it is interesting to me that the first mention of a palace in the Bible, as far as I could tell, is in the context of defeat and suicide. Palaces in history are not known for their pristine and lovely histories. They tend to have ugly stories attached to them. This is curious.]

1 Chronicles 29:1 Furthermore David the king said unto all the congregation, Solomon my son, whom alone God hath chosen, is yet young and tender, and the work is great: for the palace is not for man, but for the LORD God.

Esther 1:5 And when these days were expired, the king made a feast unto all the people that were present in Shushan the palace, both unto great and small, seven days, in the court of the garden of the king's palace;

Psalm 45:8 All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.

My Lord has garments so wondrous fine,

And myrrh their texture fills;

Its fragrance reached to this heart of mine

With joy my being thrills.

Out of the ivory palaces,

Into a world of woe,

Only His great eternal love

Made my Savior go.

In garments glorious He will come,

To open wide the door;

And I shall enter my heav’nly home,

To dwell forevermore.

Henry Barraclough

Continue Reading.

Worth Repeating - The Red Seas of Life

Some years back we heard a sermon on the subject of the crossing of the Red Sea in Exodus 14. I couldn’t help thinking of these two poems, which I love, and which have been a comfort and encouragement to me. May God bless them to you as well.
[First published here in 2012. Edited 2025.]

----------------------------

The Red Sea
by Martha Snell Nicholson

When the Children of Israel crossed the sea,
It comforts my heart to know
That there must have been 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 but 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!

Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

----------------------------

One thought that crossed my mind was how we sometimes make mud puddles into Red Seas. Life surely brings us the apparently impassible seas that require a miracle from our Lord to get us through. But, to be honest there are times when it isn’t a Red Sea at all, but we imagine it is.  I have a natural tendency toward this myself, and I know at least some of you do as well. Regardless of how big the “sea” really is, what a mercy it is from God that He is not limited by our timidity or lack of imagination! 

Ephesians 3:20-21  Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

----------------------------

A Red Sea Place
by Annie Johnson Flint

Have you come to the Red Sea place in your life,
Where in spite of all you can do,
There is no way out, there is no way back,
There is no other way but through?
Then wait on the Lord with a trust serene
Till the night of your fear is gone;
He will send the wind, He will heap the floods,
When He says to your soul "Go on."

And His hand will lead you through - clear through -
Ere the watery walls roll down,
No foe can reach you, no wave can touch,
No mightiest sea can drown;
The tossing billows may rear their crests,
Their foam at your feet may break,
But over their bed you shall walk dryshod
In the path that your Lord will make.

In the morning watch, ‘neath the lifted cloud,
You shall see but the Lord alone,
When He leads you on from the place of the sea,
To a land that you have not known;
And your fears shall pass as your foes have passed,
You shall no more be afraid;
You shall sing His praise in a better place,
A place that His hand has made.

Psalm 106:9 He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.

----------------------------

Oh, how frightening it is to the flesh to be in a place where “There is no way out, there is no way back, There is no other way but through..” How we tend to chafe and struggle and doubt, even after we’ve seen the mighty power of God over and over, as the Israelites had in Egypt. Would to God our response could always be the response of Moses. Exodus 14:13-14  And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.  The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

It is so hard to stand still and hold our peace when we think we are about to be destroyed and we imagine God isn’t paying attention. Remember the disciples in the boat when Jesus was sleeping and the storm of wind came up? Luke 8:23-24  But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm. These men had also witnessed the power of God to perform miracles, and yet they thought that their ship was going to sink and they were going to perish when the Son of God was with them! How silly! Yet, how like us. How like me!

What can we do? 

Proverbs 3:5-6  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Philippians 2:5  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

1 Peter 1:13  Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 

Tennessee Memories - Summer Day Part 1

All things bright and beau­ti­ful,
All crea­tures great and small,
All things wise and won­der­ful:
The Lord God made them all.

He gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell
How great is God Al­migh­ty,
Who has made all things well.

Cecil F. Alexander

Worth Repeating - Bless the Hands and Hearts

Proverbs 31:25-28 Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. 

Bless the Hands and Hearts

"Lord, bless the hands that made this meal;

these young, unseasoned hands of the new wife.

Bless the hands that reach for her mother's recipe book,

and that wipe tears of homesickness from her cheeks.

Bless her hands, Lord.

"Bless the efficient, work-worn hands of the mother of eight;

the hands that wipe runny noses, hang out laundry

and knead big batches of bread.

"Bless these hands, Lord, these wrinkled, shaky hands of Grandma;

the hands that cook for only one but could tell stories of meals for twelve...

these tender hands that have guided other hands in learning to cook.

"And Lord, especially bless their hearts.

"Bless the heart of the young wife, Lord--

The one who tries so hard to cook attractive and

nourishing meals for her new husband;

the one who pours so much love and care into each dish.

"Bless the heart of the busy mother,

she who so often is weary but still rejoices in her family.

The heart of she who always prays for those for whom she is cooking,

the heart that weeps with the struggling teen,

that encourages the budding cook,

that worries over the little one whose appetite is poor.

"Bless the heart of the aged cook,

the heart who has spent and been spent in the service of others,

the heart that beats strong with love for God,

yet grows weaker each passing day.

"Thank You, Lord, for each meal prepared by these dear hands,

tempered by these loving hearts. Amen."

- Faith Sommers

     copied

source of photos unknown