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.

Treasures - A Poem by Martha Snell Nicholson

Treasures

One by one He took them from me,

All the things I valued most,

Until I was empty-handed;

Every glittering toy was lost.

And I walked earth's highways, grieving.

In my rags and poverty.

Till I heard His voice inviting,

"Lift your empty hands to Me!"

So I held my hands toward heaven,

And He filled them with a store

Of His own transcendent riches,

Till they could contain no more.

And at last I comprehended

With my stupid mind and dull,

That God COULD not pour His riches

Into hands already full!

by Martha Snell Nicholson

Isaiah 55:8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Matthew 7:11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

Matthew 6:19-21 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Trusting - A Poem by Martha Snell Nicholson

Trusting

You ask how you learn to trust Him?

Dear child, you must just let go!

Let go of your frantic worry,

And the fears which plague you so;

Let go of each black tomorrow,

Which you try to live today;

Let go of your fevered planning,

He knoweth all your way.

Fear not lest your slipping fingers

Let go of your Savior too, --

Trusting is only knowing

He’ll not let go of you!

Martha Snell Nicholson

Matthew 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow:

for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.

Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

John 10:28-29 And I give unto them eternal life;

and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck

them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me,

is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck

them out of my Father's hand.

 Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart;
and lean not unto thine own understanding. 

Eternity by Martha Snell Nicholson and A Short Thought

 

"Nothing short of God can satisfy your soul."  - John Wesley

ETERNITY 

I stood with God on the edge of the world, and my hand was in His hand. 

I looked down the road of the past, as it stretched away in the dim distance, till it was shrouded in the mists of time. 

And I knew it had no beginning, and a little chill wind of fear blew about my head. 

God asked, "Are you afraid?"
And I said, "Yes, because I cannot understand how there can be no beginning." 

So God said, "Let us turn and face the other way." 

And I looked into glory, and my heart rejoiced with joy unspeakable. 

And then my mind went ahead, a billion, billion years, and I knew there would be no end, and again that little chill wind of fear began to blow. 

And God asked me again, "Are you afraid?"
And I answered, "A little, because I cannot understand how there can be no end." 

So God asked me tenderly, "Are you afraid now, today, with your hand in Mine?"
And I looked up at Him and smiled and replied, "O my Father, No!" 

And God said, "Every day in eternity will be today."

by Martha Snell Nicholson

---

Did you ever stop to think that eternity without God would be scary? What good hope would we have, what righteous expectations, what peace without His presence? None, really. Man fantasizes about living forever in this present wicked world, but what comfort or joy is there in that? No, the familiar of this life only seems better because of the limitations of our imaginations. But, when we believe the promises of God and rest in His loving kindness, we can KNOW that eternity, in all its vastness, will be both good and beautiful, both righteous and peaceful. And, in that we can trust that our souls will be completely satisfied, because God is already there, and He is good and gracious and kind to us today.

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work. 

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 

Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. 

1 John 4:18-19 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us. 

So Far, So Near - A Poem by Martha Snell Nicholson

So Far, So Near

by Martha Snell Nicholson

Such a little while
In which to go so far.
A heartbeat . . . She was gone
Beyond the farthest star!

But space as well as time
To God are but a breath.
And He who gave us life
Is master too of death.

Continue Reading.

For Whom I Pray - by Martha Snell Nicholson

For Whom I Pray

They seem a separate company,

Special and set apart,

And each one bears, all unaware,

The imprint of my heart.

For these are they for whom I pray;

The ones whose names I speak

Before God's throne, the ones for whom

His favor I would seek.

Some are my nearest, dearest. Some

But strangers in the street,

And some are those of whom I read,

But each name has a sweet

Significance, as though my Lord

And I a secret shared

About them, which will come to light

The day when hearts are bared

And all the hidden things made known.

Dear ones for whom I pray,

How sweet to meet you face to face

On heaven's streets some day!

Martha Snell Nicholson

1 Timothy 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing.

When He Comes - A Poem by Martha Snell Nicholson

 

When He Comes

Sensing the mood of the living air,
The winds in their circling feel Him near.

The moon sheds her silver beams abroad
Marking the path of the Son of God.

The stars cease their singing and are still,
Waiting the knowledge of His will.

The track of the sun is broad and bright,
And paved with gold for the Lord's delight.

Only the suffering earth is blind,
Nor peace, nor a blessed hope can find.

When our wondrous Lord comes back again
What will He find in the hearts of men --

Faith, or the same old greed and sin,
And Pharisees, and a crowded inn?

Martha Snell Nicholson

Luke 18:8 ...Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

Titus 2:11-14 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Behold, I Stand and Knock - A Poem by Martha Snell Nicholson

 

Behold, I Stand and Knock

God pity all abroad tonight!

The sodden moor lies spent

Beneath the fury of the storm;

The angry skies are rent

With ragged flashes. My poor hut,

Too chill and dark and small

To shelter even one lost lamb,

But comes a knock, a call.

"Behold, I stand without and knock.

But open unto Me,

And I will come and sup with you,

And your companion be."

I looked around. There scarce was room

For me, and surely none

For guest (O heart, suppose I had

Denied that Lovely One!)

He entered in. He dwells with me.

I do not heed life's storms;

I need but turn and cling to Him

Who reassures and warms.

And all the rooms of this my heart

Are wide and warm and bright,

A banquet hall where I may sup

With Him, my Lord, my Light!

Martha Snell Nicholson

Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any
man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him,
and will sup with him, and he with me.

A Collection of Short Poems by Martha Snell Nicholson

 

Here is a collection of short poems by Martha Snell Nicholson over at The Home Maker's Corner.

Enjoy!

Click here to Read.

Twenty Years of Pain...and Thankfulness - By Martha Snell Nicholson

 

Twenty Years of Pain...
and Thankfulness

by Martha Snell Nicholson
[lightly edited]

I am looking back over more than twenty years of illness and thanking God for them. Does that sound strange? Ah, but they have brought me gifts, those weary years. I do not enjoy sickness nor suffering, nor the nervous agony and exhaustion that are harder to bear than physical pain. And an invalid must bury so many dear dreams which have death struggles and refuse to die decently and quietly. But God has a way of taking away our toys, and after we have cried for awhile like disappointed children, He fills our hands with jewels which “cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.” [Job 28:6]

And what friends He has given me! Are there more loyal friends than those who stand by the sick through the years? My family and friends have prayed for me, encouraged me, quietly sacrificed for me, washed my dishes, rubbed my aching head, offered me everything from new books to their very life-blood for blood transfusions. I should like to speak of a very devoted and tender husband, but that is a matter too personal.

Continue Reading.

Since Yesterday - A Poem by Martha Snell Nicholson

 

Since Yesterday

Along the golden streets

A stranger walks tonight

With wonder in his heart --

Faith blossomed into sight.

He walks and stops and stares,

And walks and stares again.

Vistas of loveliness

Beyond the dreams of men.

He who once was weak,

And often shackled to a bed,

Now climbs eternal hills

With light and easy tread.

He has escaped at last

The cruel clutch of pain;

His lips shall never taste

Her bitter cup again.

O never call him dead,

This buoyant one and free,

Whose daily portion is

Delight and ecstasy!

Now bows in speechless joy

Before the feet of Him

Whom, seeing not, he loved

While yet his sight was dim.

Along the golden streets

No stranger walks today,

But one who, long homesick,

Is home at last, to stay!

Martha Snell Nicholson

Philippians 1:23-24 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.

2 Corinthians 5:6-8 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Three Journeys - By Martha Snell Nicholson

 

Three Journeys

Three long journeys the Lord Christ took;

One from heaven when He forsook

Ivory mansions and throne and crown,

And His FATHER's presence, and He came down

Far from the angels' songs of praise,

Picking His path through star-strewn ways.

Did His heart grow heavy, His footsteps slow,

Knowing what waited Him here below --

That His journey's end was a crowded inn

In a world of grief and fear and sin?

A little Babe with a small weak cry,

A babe as helpless as you or I.

So His second journey was begun,

A lonely road for God's own Son.

His dusty feet were bruised and torn,

His flesh was weary, His garments worn;

The Lord of glory hungered for bread,

And He had not where to lay His head.

The road led on to Calvary's hill.

(Pause here and worship, hushed and still.)

A hill and a Cross against the sky.

The reeling world heard His final cry.

"It is finished!" From throne to grave,

Two long journeys our souls to save!

Then the Lord Christ yearned for the lights of home,

Earth could not hold Him, nor entomb.

The angels chorused in glad refrain

As the Lord of glory came home again,

Treading the skies with eager feet.

Think of the moment when they meet,

The FATHER and His beloved Son!

Think of His accolade, "Well done!"

Martha Snell Nicholson

Philippians 2:5-9  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

The Brightening Path of Pain - by Martha Snell Nicholson

The Brightening Path of Pain

by Martha Snell Nicholson
[lightly edited]

Everyone needs to work in order to remain normal, and it is such a comfort that none of us are too ill to know the joy of accomplishment, the opportunity to win crowns, sheaves to lay at the feet of the Lord of the harvest. Years ago I was reading the Bible to a little boy of nine who had recently given his heart to Christ. He had had no Christian upbringing and thus the truth of the Word of God was new to him. I found that he caught the marvel of it in a way that shamed me at times. I was explaining about the five kinds of rewards, and read to him the verse, “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness...” [2 Tim. 4:8]

His eyes grew bigger and bigger, and at last he fairly gasped, “Oh, are there going to be crowns too? I should think it would be enough just to save our souls!”

There is so much we who are the Lord’s can do. I have long had the habit of praying for those whose stories of sin and sorrow are spread all over the pages of our newspapers, even for the murderers awaiting execution. And, of course, I pray for all Christian work and workers everywhere.

Then there is that very quiet work of grace. All summer I have thrilled to a miracle in our back yard. We had a sapling fig tree, only knee high. We poured on the water, and it drank it in and spread its little branches to catch the sunshine. I took such pride in it and would stroke its straight strong trunk and limbs so unlike my twisted body. It grew so quietly, never a sound nor a stir, yet now it is six feet tall, and this fall gave us largess of gifts, great fat figs bursting with their own sweetness. So we, on quiet beds of pain, may drink in His Word, and open our hearts to His Holy Spirit until we too bear fruit.

It is such a blessing to know that God makes no mistakes, that this illness is not something that just happened to me. “Shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He hath no understanding?” [Is. 29:16]  No, the enduring is mine, to be sure, but the responsibility for it is entirely His, and what a difference that makes! Nothing can even touch the child of God without His permissive will. It is not necessary for me to know the reasons, for they are safe with our dear Lord, “in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” [Col. 2:2-3]

I am no wise theologian, but I have thought that surely God will be glad when this is all over and He will no longer have to watch His children suffer, when all tears will be wiped from our eyes, and a song put upon our lips. Until then cannot we “endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” [2 Tim. 2:3] and spare Him the sound of our wailing?

He Is My Light - A Poem by Martha Snell Nicholson

He Is My Light

He is the light in my dark sky,

My Bright and Morning Star;

The softly gleaming lamps of home

Which beckon from afar.

He is the lantern at me feet

To guide me on my way;

The moving pillar of bright fire

Which turns my night to day.

He is the beacon on the shore

Which warns me from the shoal;

The living, glowing blaze which warms

The chilled hearth of my soul.

Why should my heart know any fear

Of earthly, harkened things?

He is my Sun of Righteousness,

With tender, healing wings!

Martha Snell Nicholson

Malachi 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings...

Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. 

Wonderful Story - A Poem by Martha Snell Nicholson

 

Wonderful Story

Wonderful story of infinite grace!

Story of One crucified in my place,

Hanging forsaken between earth and sky,

Shamed and tormented and left there to die,

His kingly head bowed with the weight of my sin.

(Foul was I, Lord, without and within.)

Angels still carol the story through space,

Wonderful story of infinite grace!

Wonderful story of infinite love,

Wanting me there in heaven above;

Seeing me, blood-washed, as spotless as He,

Building a home for a sinner like me;

Oh, how it eases the pain I must bear,

Only to dream of that home waiting there,

Its windows aglow with the light from His face!

Wonderful story of love and of grace!

Martha Snell Nicholson

Ephesians 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 3:14-19 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 

A New Page - Poems and Thoughts of Martha Snell Nicholson

 

Poems and Thoughts of Martha Snell Nicholson

I started a new page at The Home Maker's Corner. It is a collection of poems and thoughts by Martha Snell Nicholson. It will not be her complete works, but hopefully will be an ongoing project and will include a nice selection of her writing. She also was an invalid, like Annie Johnson Flint and, like her, was used greatly by the Lord to pour out comfort and balm for the suffering through her poetry and prose. 

I had posted a number of her poems here on the blog, and I have copied many of them to the web page, so you may see a few that you recognize. Others will appear later. I also had a few already on the web page and I moved them to this index page which is dedicated to just her work. I hope that you enjoy getting to know her poetry and her sweet spirit and love of the Lord Jesus that shines through. I think that you cannot help but to be encouraged.

Fear - A Poem by Martha Snell Nicholson

 

FEAR

My friend went on ahead

And left me here

To walk my last, long mile

Alone; and Fear

Stepped to his vacant place

And said that he

Would walk with me, and my

Companion be.

And so he dogged my steps

In this dark vale

Where death's wings shadow me.

My face grew pale,

My spirit quailed. I called

One precious Name

In my distress, and lo,

That loved One came!

He closely holds my hand,

This tender FRIEND,

Nor will He let me go

Until the end.

And as [Christ] walks with me,

Daily more dear,

I find that trust and love

Have cast out Fear.

Martha Snell Nicholson

[altered]

1 John 4:18-19 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us.

Hebrews 13:5-6 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

Worth Repeating - A Thanksgiving Meditation by Martha Snell Nicholson

THANKSGIVING MEDITATION

Since man apart from God is but an abnormal creature, our greatest joys, our deepest satisfactions, come in our relationship to Him. So I thank Him this Thanksgiving season for sins forgiven, for a great High Priest touched with a feeling of my infirmities, for the privilege of being a tool in His mighty hand, for His guidance, for His ear that hears my prayers, for His arm on which to lean, for His precious Word in which He speaks to us explicitly, and for the blessed, blessed hope of His soon coming!

I thank Him, more than all else, for utter safety. In the past I have known what it was to be afraid, but now I know that I am entirely and perfectly secure. I feel that I have come into a safe harbor. Nothing, absolutely nothing, not my own deeds nor those of others, not the works of devils, not circumstances, not so-called fate -- nothing can separate me from the love of Christ. Pain, sorrow and bereavement can come, shattered nerves and body can be my lot, death can even put my body in the grave; but whatever comes, it passes first through His tender hands, and so I can love it because it comes from Him!

Nothing can keep me out of heaven. I am as safe now as though I were already there. Just these few hard years to live, these few burdens to bear, and then to be forever with Him, our daily portion glory beyond infinite glory! Thankful? My cheeks are wet with happy tears. Why He gives all this to a poor creature like me I do not know -- but I know that I shall need all eternity in which to thank Him for it!

by Martha Snell Nicholson 

Romans 8:35-39  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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

First published here Nov. 2015

Home - A Poem by Martha Snell Nicholson

2 Corinthians 5:6-8 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Home

Our earthly homes are simple things
Of plaster and of board;
Sometimes as humble as the nest
Built by a wildwood bird.

And yet through all our lives our hearts
Cling to the childhood home
Of hallowed, precious memories -
No matter where we roam.

Continue Reading.

A Mother Prays - by Martha Snell Nicholson - A poem for mothers who have lost a little one

When something we have held dear is taken away from us, it is important to ask the Lord to show us things we can do for Him to fill our hands and hearts for His glory. We are not meant to be empty-handed or empty-hearted.

A Mother Prays

There is a new lamb cradled on Thy breast tonight;
A sweet small lamb, so lately mine
I scarce can keep my arms from reaching out
As though to snatch her back from Thine.

Read More.