Saturday, March 26, 2011

Christian Poetry - Henry Francis Lyte (1793-1847)

Poems by Henry Francis Lyte (1793-1847)

"Abide With Me"

Abide with me: fast falls the eventide:
The darkness deepens: Lord with me abide:
When other helpers fall, and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day:
Earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see;
O thou who changest not, abide with me.

I need thy presence every passing hour;
What but thy grace can fil the tempter's pow'r?
Who like thyself my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, O abide with me.

I fear no foe, with thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death's sting? Where grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if thou abide with me.

Hold thou the cross before my closing eyes;
Shine through the gloom, and poing me to they skies:
Heav'n's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord abide with me.

Christian Poetry - Anna Laetitia Barbauld (1743-1825)


Poems by Anna Laetitia Barbauld (1743-1825)

"The Call"

Awake, my soul! lift up thine eyes.
See where thy foes against thee rise.
In long array, a numerous host:
Awake, my soul! or thou art lost

Here giant Danger threatening stands.
Mustering his pale terrific bands:
There pleasure's silken banners spread,
And willing souls are captive led.

See where rebellious passions rage,
And fierce desires and lusts engage:
The meanest foe of all the train
His thousands and ten thousands slain.

Thou tread'st upon enchanted ground,
Perils and snares beset thee round;
Beware of all, guard every part.
But most, the traitor in thy heart.

Come then, my soul, now learn to wield
The weight of thine immortal shield;
Put on the armour from above
Of heavenly truth and heavenly love.

The terror and the charm repel,
And powers of earth, and powers of hell;
The Man of Calvary triumphed here:
Why should His faithful followers fear?

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Christian Poetry - John Oxenham (1852-1941)

Poems by John Oxenham (1852-1941)

"My Treasure"

Treasure I sought
Over land and sea,
And dearly I bought
Prosperity.
But nought that I gained,
On land or sea,
Brought ever a lasting good for me.

Pleasure I sought
Over sea and land,
And snatched at life
With eager hand.
But nought that I found,
On land or sea,
Brought ever a lasting joy to me.

For treasure of earth
Is fleeting gain,
And Pleasure is but
A mask for pain.
Life asketh more,
And ever stands,
With outstretched hands by an opening door.

And then at last
My wonderings o'er
All that I sought,
And God's good more,
Lay waiting for me
At my  own door.--
Yea, more than I sought was at my door.

He let me scour
The world, to show
His Love and Power
Must all bestow.
All mine own strivings
Had brought me nought;
He gave me more than all I had sought.


Christian Poetry - George Herbert (1593-1633)

Poems by George Herbert (1593-1633)

"The Call"

Come, my Way, my Truth, my Life:
Such a Way, as gives me breath:
Such a Truth, as ends all strife:
Such a Life, as killeth death.

Come, my Light, my Feast, my Strength:
Such a Light, as shows a feast:
Such a Feast, as mends in length:
Such a Strength, as makes his guest.

Come, my Joy, my Love, my Heart:
Such a Joy, as none can move:
Such a Love, as none can part:
Such a Heart, as Joyes in Love.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Christian Poetry - Horatius Bonar (1808-1889)

Horatius Bonar (1808-1889)

"Fill Thou My Life"

Fill thou my life, O Lord my God,
In every part with praise,
That my whole being may proclaim
Thy being and thy ways.

Not for the lip of praise alone,
Nor e'en the praising heart,
I ask, but for a life made up
Of praise in every part.

Praise in the common words I speak,
Life's common words and tones,
In intercourse at hearth or board
With my beloved ones.

Fill every part of me with praise;
Let all my being speak
Of thee and of thy love, O Lord,
Poor though I be and weak.

So shall no part of day or night
From Sacredness be free;
But all my life, in every step,
Be fellowship with thee.

Christian Poetry - A poem about God's Power

"Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him." -Psalm 33:8

"The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them." -Psalm 34:7



“The Power of God”

Like a monument they stand
The cloudy sky, the mountain land.
The very fact that they exist
Declares that all the earth is His.

And so the voice of lightning speaks
His mighty power with every streak
While thunder echoes through the hills
In pure obedience to His will.

For who dares turn against the face
Of one who’s hung the stars in place
Or who can stand against the might
Of one who’s voice created light,
Who separated land and sea,
By simply willing it to be...

By N. Gonzalez © poetryandpraise.com 2011 all rights reserved

Christian Poetry - A poem about Praising Jesus

"Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the name of the LORD; praise him, O ye servants of the LORD."~Psalm 135:1

"By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name."~Hebrews 13:15


"In Between Praises”

In between praises where do you go
Does your mind start wondering to and fro
Do you find you are lacking the strength of will
To let God take over while you learn to be still

Do you find yourself doing what you should not do
Does a dark cloud seem to hover over you
Do you tend to worry, do you live with fear
Does your heart start doubting that the Lord is near

In between praises what do you see
Do you seem to lose sight of Calvary
Do you see the splinter in your brother’s eye
Do you see a need and simply walk on by

Then perhaps my friend, what your heart should do
Is continue praising the whole day through
Fill your day with praise fill your night with song
And continue praising Him when things go wrong

Don’t allow a time in your day, my friend
When your songs and praises would reach their end
Raise your voice in worship, bend your knees and pray
Let your heart praise God the entire day
By N. Gonzalez © poetryandpraise.com 2011 all rights reserved

 

Christian Poetry - A poem about Someone waiting for US!

"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."~John 14:3


“Someone Waits For Me”

Over the mountains, beyond the sea
There is someone who patiently waits for me
Someone whose hands are both gentle and strong
Whose presence would fill every heart with song

Someone whose beauty I long to see
Whose eyes never cease to watch over me
Who has carved me into the palm of His hand
Whose wisdom we mortals cannot understand

Whose love is as pure as a love could be
Someone who has given His all for me
Who knows my thoughts, my dreams, my fears
Who has promised to wipe away all my tears

There He waits till that blessed day
When the trumpet sounds and I’m swept away
And the forces of darkness wherever they be
Have no power to stop Him from coming for me

Now this world could crumble, the skies could fall
But it would not change anything at all
For over the mountains, beyond the sea
There is someone who patiently waits for me
By N. Gonzalez © poetryandpraise.com 2011 all rights reserved

 

Christian Poetry - A poem about Heaven and Seeing Jesus

"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away... and I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband...Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God...And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald...And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.." -Revelation 21:1-3,19,21


“I will see Him”

Take me to the holy city
They call the New Jerusalem
For I know my Lord will be there
And I want to be with Him

Lead me through the pearly gates
Though it’s not them I long to see
I don’t care how big and shiny
Or how grand those gates may be

And please, don’t stop to admire
The streets of gold beneath our feet
It’s not the gold that I have dreamed of
But Jesus, who I want to meet

Rush me past the walls of Jasper
Let me stand before the throne
That my eyes may see the beauty
That until now I’ve never known

Don’t show me Sapphires or Rubies
There’s just one sight I want to see
It is the lovely face of Jesus
With whom my soul has longed to be

There’s nothing more that I desire
Than to stand before him in that place
And with my eyes behold the glory
Of seeing Jesus face to face.

By N. Gonzalez © poetryandpraise.com 2011 all rights reserved

Classic Christian Poetry - George Matheson (1842-1906)

Poems by George Matheson (1842-1906)

“O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go”

O Love that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

O light that flowest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.

O joy that sleekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain
That morn shall tearless be.

O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.



"Make me a Captive"

Make me a captive, Lord,
And then I shall be free:
Force me to render up my sword,
And I shall conqueror be.
I sink in life's alarms
When by myself I stand:
Imprison me within thine arms,
And strong shall be my hand.

My heart is weak and poor
Until it master find:
It has no spring of action sure,
It varies with the wind:
It cannot freely move
Till thou hast wrought its chain;
Enslave it with thy matchless love,
And deathless it shall reign.

My power is faint and low
Till I have learned to serve:
It wants the needed fire to glow,
It wants the breeze to nerve;
It cannot drive the world
Until itself be driven;
Its flag can only be unfurled
When Thou shalt breathe from heaven.

My will is not my own
Till thou hast made it thine;
If it would reach a monarch's throne
It must its crown resign;
It only stands unbent
Amid the clashing strife,
When on thy bosom it has leant
And found in thee its life.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Classic Christian Poetry - Elizabeth Clephane (1830-1869)

Elizabeth Clephane (1830-1869)
 
"Beneath the Cross of Jesus"
 
Beneath the cross of Jesus
I fain would take my stand,
The shadow of a mighty Rock
Within a weary land;
A home within the wilderness,
A rest upon the way,
From the burning of the noontide heat,
And the burden of the day.
 
Upon the cross of Jesus
Mine eye at times can see
The very dying form of One
Who suffered there for me:
And from my stricken heart with tears
Two wonders I confess,
The wonders of redeeming love
And my own worthlessness.
 
I take, O cross, thy shadow,
For my abiding place:
I ask no other sunshine than
The sunshine of his face;
Content to let the world go by,
To know no gain or loss;
My sinful self my only shame,
My glory, all the cross.

Classic Christian Poetry - Ralph Erskine

Ralph Erskine

 

Excerpts from

“Thy Maker is thy Husband”

 

"Thy Maker is thy Husband."—Isa 54.5

Of light and life, of grace and glore,
       In Christ thou art partaker,
Rejoice in him for evermore,
       Thy husband is thy maker.

He made all, yea, he made all thine,
       All to thee shall be giv'n.
Who can thy kingdom undermine?
       Thy husband made the heav'n.

What earthly thing can thee annoy?
       He made the earth to be;
The waters cannot thee destroy,
       Thy husband made the sea.

Don't fear the flaming element
       Thee hurt with burning ire,
Or that the scorching heat torment
       Thy husband made the fire.

Infectious streams shall ne'er destroy,
       While he is pleased to spare;
Thou shalt thy vital breath enjoy,
       Thy husband made the air.

The sun that guides the golden day,
       The moon that rules the night,
The starry frame, the milky way,
       Thy husband made for light.

The bird that wings its airy path,
       The fish that cuts the flood,
The creeping crowd that swarms beneath,
       Thy husband made for good.

In Tophet, where the damn'd resort,
       Thy soul shall never dwell,
Nor needs from thence imagine hurt;
       Thy husband formed hell.

Satan with instruments of his
       May rage, yet dread no evil;
So far as he a creature is,
       Thy husband made the devil.

His black temptations may afflict,
       His fiery darts annoy;
But all his works, and hellish tricks,
       Thy husband will destroy.

Let armies strong of earthly gods
       Combine with hellish ghosts,
They live or languish, at his nods
       Thy husband's Lord of hosts.

What can thee hurt? whom dost thou fear ?
       All things are at his call.
Thy maker is thy husband dear,
       Thy husband's all in all.

The less thou seek'st, the less thou dost
       His bounty set on high;
But highest seekers here do most
       Thy husband glorify.

Would'st thou have grace? Well; but 'tis meet
       He should more glory gain.
Wouldst thou have Father, Son, and Sp'rit?
       Thy husband says AMEN.

Thou hast indeed the better part,
       The part will fail thee never:
Thy husband's hand, thy husband's heart,
       Thy husband's all for ever.

Art thou by lusts a captive led,
       Which breeds thy deepest grief?
To ransom captives is his trade,
       Thy husband's thy relief.

His precious name is JESUS, why?
       Because he saves from sin;
Redemption's right he won't deny,
       Thy husband's near of kin.

His wounds have sav'd thee once from woes,
       His blood from vengeance screen'd;
When heav'n, and earth, and hell were foes,
       Thy husband was a friend.

And will thy captain now look on,
       And see thee trampled down?
When, lo! thy champion has the throne,
       Thy husband wears the crown.

Yield not, though cunning Satan bribe,
       Or like a lion roar;
The Lion strong of Judah's tribe,
       Thy husband's to the fore.

And that he never will forsake,
       His credit fair he pawn'd ;
In hottest broils, then, courage take,
       Thy husband's at thy hand.

No storm needs drive thee to a strait,
       Who dost his aid invoke:
Fierce winds may blow, proud waves may beat;
       Thy husband is the rock.

Renounce thine own ability,
       Lean to his promis'd might;
The strength of Isra'l cannot lie,
       Thy husband's pow'r is plight.