God Forbid...

God forbid that I should worship
Temporal gods of clay and rust
Gathering in my groping visage
Treasure-chests of painted dust

God forbid that I should journey
From the cradle to the grave
Only then to find in horror
They are powerless to save

God forbid that I should hunger
In the wantonness of things
Choosing never to discover
Heaven’s sacred offerings

God forbid, as centuries trickle
Through the clouds above a stone
That I should thus remain forever
Bound by gods without a throne

© Janet Martin

Ark of Safety

Upon the shores of grace we stand
Where Time and Mercy plead
Before wrath’s flood will wash earth’s sand
Into eternity

The ark is built; the door ajar
And whosoever will
May come into its sure stronghold
Before Time’s clock stands still

As in the days of Noah; now
Because of unbelief
The Master waits; lengthens the hour
Before sin’s final grief

Today He pleads and suffers long
He beckons to each mortal
Eternity lays in His palm
Trembling on heaven’s portal

As in the days of Noah, He
Implores, yearns and beseeches
For this last Ark will not return
When He closes its reaches

Upon the shores of grace we kneel
Oh, how long will He tarry?
Before the door of Mercy seals
The seeker from its safety

© Janet Martin

This morning the little guy I babysit and I were looking at view-master reels. One reel was Noah’s Ark. One picture caught my breath…the last two animals…turtles,(cute:) were through the door and it was closing, never to open on this side of the flood.

Now we see another door, still open. When it will close, not even the angels know. Only the One True God…I AM knows the day and the hour...


Behold, now is “THE ACCEPTABLE TIME,” behold, now is “THE DAY OF SALVATION” 2 Cor.6:2

Miracles

He stirs the sod and wooden limb
With miracles uncommon
As nature, in grand diadem
Exalts the God of Heaven

The willing hands, the humble hearts
He fills with power glorious
And by the wisdom He imparts
They will return victorious

Within the acorn; oak trees wait
Within a drop; a fountain
Within a mustard seed of faith
The strength to move a mountain

Celestial ramparts shout His praise
And cause our minds to wonder
At mysteries beyond those gates
In portals over yonder

Janet Martin

Last night on the way home from my son's hockey game it struck me...
the days are getting longer once again...and Time is getting shorter.


For as the soil makes the sprout come up
and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness
and praise spring up before all nations. Isa. 61:11

We Are Beautiful

There is a wondrous beauty
Clothing us from deep within
Beneath the shallow proof of Time
Caressed upon our skin

The mirror does not show the man
Only our mortal face
It graciously conceals the span
Of our vast disgrace

Yet, God in tender love and grace
To all who trust His name
Clothes us with His pure righteousness
In garments without shame

The world may judge our clothes and frown
But they cannot behold
The beauty of a royal gown
Clothing a blood-bought soul

© Janet Martin

I read this verse this morning and rejoiced.


I delight greatly in the LORD;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Isa. 61:10

Beyond this Battle

Hold our hands, we cannot see
Beyond the steps we take
God, be our steadfast surety
For You make no mistake
And oh, we are so prone to stray
As pastures beckon, come
Be our Captain through the fray
Guide this battalion home

The unknown is a gaping void
Of misery and fear
Hope would swiftly be destroyed
Without Your Presence near
But as we feel Your tender touch
Sustaining faithfully
We do not need to fear so much
The things we cannot see

The fight is not forever Lord
The hour is at hand
When we will leave our temporal swords
In plough-shares made of sand
Oh God, it seems we see You etched
Against the setting sun
Into the trenches, arms out-stretched,
We hear You calling come

…and so we press toward Your arms
The battle is not done
This world with all its empty charms
Is but the stepping-stone
A plot of dirt on which we stand
Reaching in humble trust
To hold Your gracious out-stretched hand
Your glory to our dust…

The victory banner waves on high
Beyond this tear-stained plight
Hold our hands and be our Guide
Within the thickest fight
Through enemy lines we will forge
The battle is not long
Hold our hands and lead us, Lord
Oh, keep your warriors strong


Janet Martin

I saw the movie War Horse last night.
The final scene touched me immensely...
A picture of weary, wounded warriors coming home.

This I Know...

I do not know
How it is that each rose unfolds
In pure and flawless splendor
Or how an infinity of planets
Exists beyond our visage
A glorious mystery, uncharted
I do not know
How it is that you are far from me
Yet ache in every heartbeat
Or how waters flow unceasingly
Yet its source is not depleted
I do not know what brings the robin
To its nest in the same tree
Or how a world beneath the ocean
Can exist in untainted beauty
I do not know
How many days remain to tread this sod
Or who will be the first to go
But one thing I do know…
I know whom I have believed
And am persuaded that he is able
To keep that which I’ve committed
Unto Him against that day. (2 Tim. 1:12)
I know He is the One True God

Janet~

The Lovely Flower

Kindness is a lovely flower
One cannot force its seed
But there is nothing like the power
Of kindness touching need

Kindness is a lovely bloom
It needs no pot or bowl
Its fragrance fills the dreary room
And cheers the down-cast soul

Kindness is a stunning rose
Of pure and humble beauty
Its root in selfless visage grows
And never out of duty

Kindness is a lovely flower
All can afford its splendor
In every season, every hour
Its bloom is fair and tender

Janet~

)Be kind to one another, tenderhearted,forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Ephes. 4:32

Undying Need

Lord, give me a need undying
And never let me stray
Nor lean on my understanding
But to need You every day

Lord give me eyes to see You
Within each little flower
To know the Hand that formed its cup
Holds me through every hour

Lord, give me ears to hear you
As nature throbs Your dues
For if You hear a sparrow’s song
Then you will hear mine too

Lord, give me faith to need You
When everything is fine
And never take a single step
Without Your hand on mine

Lord, give me an undying need
To need you every day
Lest in my folly I should lead
And sadly go astray

Janet Martin

The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want…Ps. 23

Answers...

‘God answered my prayer’
She happily beamed
From the fruit of her granted request
I smiled for a child
Is allowed to gleam
With the thrill of wee faith put to test
Someday she will see
When she’s old like me
That God answers each prayer we pray
And for our own good
Because we ask, not as we should
His reply is not always our way

Janet~

Just because we cannot see
The answer bright and clear
Is not an indication
That somehow God did not hear
His answers are a mystery
We cannot understand
We simply put our trust in Him
Who holds us in His hands

You Are Not Alone

When midnight is lonesome and heavy and deep
When need in your bosom is stronger than sleep
When longing is clenching the hope from your soul
And life is a journey without a clear goal
You are not alone

When empty arms yearn for someone to embrace
When love’s loss has stolen the thrill from life’s race
When cold lonely hours bleed away, undefined
And night’s endless hollow expands in your mind
You are not alone

When tears of desire and helpless despair
Weep in every heart-beat and breathe on the air
When only the darkness responds to your plea
And nothing but silence keeps you company
You are not alone

Someone is waiting to be a true Friend
Arms full of mercy and grace without end
God so loved the world that He sent His dear Son
He is a true, faithful Friend to each one
You are not alone


What can we do His fellowship to receive?
All we can do is simply believe
His grace sufficient is love’s offering
Tender, omniscient are the words of a King
“You are not alone”

Janet

And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matt. 28:20

Is This It?

Is this all there is?
Hope refurbished with hope
Assurances of ‘better days’
As to its void we grope

Is this all there is?
A fleeting day of youth
Before the cold and solemn kiss
Of consequence’s truth

Is this all there is?
A grasping of thin air
Before hands fold upon our chest
In coffins of despair

Is this all there is?
A kaleidoscope of dirt
Chaotic sequences of bliss
And brokenness and hurt

Is this all there is?
A pithy poem or two
Before our painted emptiness
Is stripped for all to view

Is this all there is?
Without our God to trust
Yes, this is all that there would be
A journey back to dust

This is not all there is
Though bodies will decay
They hold within a living soul
That never fades away

Janet~

For God so loved the world
He gave His only Son

That whosoever believes on Him
will not perish
But have eternal Life. John 3:16

If Not For You, Where Would I Be?

Where would I be?
My fumbling thought
Seeks to express
My love, oh God
Nothing of worth
Have I to bring
To show my love
For you, my King

Upon this broken
Void of sin
Its grief would quench
True joy within
But then one thought
Occurs to me
Without Your love
Where would I be?

Tempted and tried
Lord, I would stray
Without Your light
To lead the way
Your mercy beams
Across the night
Where would I be
Without Your light?

Seasons and stars
Heed your command
And yet You hold
My shameful hand
As every sin-stain
You erase
Where would I be
Without Your grace?

Oh Lord, I have
One gift to bring
Accept the praises
That I sing
For living Hope
Has set me free
Without Your love
Where would I be?

Janet
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,
made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions
—it is by grace you have been saved.
And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,
in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
not by works, so that no one can boast.
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Eph. 2:4-10