The Unassailable Hope Poem by Hannington Mumo

The more the tides of affliction push my sail,
The more I get to know that You care;
Woes and tribulations do remind me
Of how your plans are just and fair.

Were my to go through the Valley
Of Death and still uninjured rise,
I would remember Your love benign,
And harder immune become to sin and guise.

I thus chase not the prosperous dew of the earth,
For I'm sure to see it evaporate and dry.
Yet my Lord shall for eons and eons live,
And outlast all eternities after I die.

Wash my anguished tears along life's weary way
As I inch closer to Your heavenly throne,
And may I be found a wretched forgiven sinner,
Whose manifold sins only Christ can atone.

Be my way of glory Your unfailing plan
And watch my every twist and turn,
Protecting me from foes and unreliable friends
And ransom me from the fires that shall forever burn.

I know I will be found wanting by Your standards,
But merciful You are and your tender heart forgives
Irreconcilable rebels like me unfit for Your love;
A faithless Christian like me who never believes.

An outcast here on earth let me live,
Shunned by tiring friends who patience lack,
Yet assured of Your company at every turn,
Your eye that watches my front and back.

Thus let me live and die:
A yearning soul seeking Your face;
A dawdling child crawling ever prostrate down,
And You an encouraging Father beckoning me on
To finish the race and win the crown.