Dwelling Place

He could have had a mansion
The best this world could give
The King of all creation
Could choose where He would live
The Hand that formed the mountain
And urged the rushing stream
Decked the blue pavilion
And gave the star its gleam

He could have had a palace
The mighty King of kings
He clothed the hills and valleys
And taught the birds to sing
He could have had a castle
The best earth could afford
Still would have been too humble
To house the lord of lords

He could have chosen Heaven
And never left His throne
For there can be no mansion
Worthy of God’s own
He could have lived above us
In heavenly majesty
But heaven's most Beloved
Has chosen you and me

He chose a lowly temple
A temple made of dust
And here He makes his dwelling
This God in whom we trust
He could have had a mansion
The best that there could be
I cannot understand it
But He chose you and me
Praise God, He loves us so much
That He chose you and me!

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

Do you not know that your body
Is the temple of the Holy Spirit
Who is in you, who you have received from God?
You are not your own;
You were bought with a price.
Therefore honor God with your body. 1 Cor. 6:19-20

Tonight while I was running, the song
Les Cloches Du Hameau- by Celine Dion
came on. The melody was breath-taking
and since I didn't understand the words
a new set of words formed in my mind.
This is what inspired this poem.

Your Temple

Lord, how is the temple when You look at me?
Is it as clean as it ought to be?
Or do you see clutter strewn about?
A pile of garbage that should be thrown out
Dear Lord, as you look in upon me
What kind of temple do you see?

Is it a place in which You gladly dwell?
With every space tended very well
Are You welcome in every last nook
Where nothing is hidden, in case You should look
If I am Your temple, is it fit for a King?
A humble example of a pure offering

Lord, it’s such an honor that You should dwell
In every corner of this lowly shell
Teach me how to keep this temple well-swept
A tender example of a house well-kept
If I am Your temple upon this earth
Than I am filled with priceless worth

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

Do you not know that your body is a temple of
the Holy Spirit, who is in you
whom you have received from God? 1Cor.6:19

Nature's Temple

I love to ramble
Through bush and bramble
To the heart of God’s creation
In secluded hills
Where the world is still
Beyond modern civilization
I feast my eyes
So mesmerized
By this unhindered beauty
Midst bird and tree
Where heart is free
Beyond the call of duty

The hand of God
Has brushed the sod
With emerald, bronze and amber
Since nature’s birth
This niche on earth
Remains an untouched chamber
In reverence now
I humbly bow
Within this sanctuary
These wooded halls
Unbarred by walls
Beckon me to tarry

I love to ramble
Through nature’s temple
For as I roam its girth
In this solitude
My heart is renewed
In the God of Heaven and earth
With sapphire and jade
It’s heaven-made
Unmarred by our progression
I give to Him
My heart of sin
And He makes intercession

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Janet Martin
22/11/09

Unless the Lord builds the house
its builders labor in vain.Ps. 127:1

I rejoiced when they said to me
"Let us go to the house of the Lord". Ps.122:1