Canaan's Rest

Canaan’s Rest represents a quiet place “set apart” for the purpose of hearing God's voice, growing in intimacy with the Lord, and being renewed in soul and spirit.

Month: February 2021 (Page 2 of 3)

February 17, 2021

February 17, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are enjoying this day and keeping warm. This morning I went to my exercise class and also made G.F. cake and a S.F. cinnamon raisin bread. We plan to find an Ash Wed. service to attend tonight as Lent begins.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Do we readily admit to ourselves and others that we are sinners? We sin daily, and just ask those close to us! We don’t hear much about the word sin today and even pastors don’t readily say it, but the truth is, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Today we begin the season of Lent and Al and I put purple paraments on the altar at church last Sunday in readiness for this special time. Purple is associated with mourning as in Jesus crucifixion; but it is also for royalty as we think of His resurrection. On this Ash Wednesday Christians all over the world are joined together in acknowledgement of our sin and need of a Savior. We receive ashes on our forehead in the sign of a cross which symbolizes and reminds us of our sinfulness and mortality. We all deserve death but Jesus came and paid the price for all who will receive Him. We are not excluded from the body of Christ because we are sinful, but it is the very fact that we acknowledge our sin that we are included. We are a gathering of fallen people that know our need of a Savior. I look forward to the season of Lent as it seems like a time to be quiet before the Lord and to draw closer. I often am led to give something up, as a small sacrifice in what He has done for me. But this morning as I read online the words of Pope Francis it is not only what to give up but what to put in its place. “Fast from hurting words and say kind words. Fast from sadness and be filled with gratitude. Fast from anger and be filled with patience. Fast from pessimism and be filled with hope. Fast from worries and have trust in God. Fast from complaints and contemplate simplicity. Fast from pressure and be prayerful. Fast from bitterness and be filled with joy. Fast from selfishness and be compassionate to others. Fast from grudges and be reconnected. Fast from words and be silent so you can listen.” We can all add to the list from our own hearts and I might add to fast from hurry and to enjoy each moment with Him. May this Lenten time remind us that we are far from perfect but we are forgiven, loved and cherished!
Challenge for today: Ask the Lord how He would have you spend this Lenten time and draw you closer to Him. 
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

February 16, 2021

February 16, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are keeping warm. It looks cold all over our nation and was -27 here when we got up. I love to bake when it is cold out and today I made Al’s favorite cookies. I went downstairs for coffee and Choc covered raspberries, and then we went out to Poncho Lefties for our belated Valentine dinner. I am so full! 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
What is really important in life?  Is it how much money we make, how many friends we have, how many degrees we have? All those things fall along the wayside if we lose our own soul. It says in Matt. 16: 26 (ESV), “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” Even if we get everything we want in life but lose our soul, we are lost and bankrupt. But how much of the time do we live without giving much thought to our souls and neglect what is most important? John Ortberg writes about the parable of the Sower that Jesus told to a large crowd by the sea. Jesus must have thought it was very important for afterwards He gave the full interpretation to his disciples. The sower is the Lord who is so generous with the seed as He scatters it everywhere. But it is the soil that is the variable and much like our souls. Bottom line is that when our soul is closed it is death and if it is open and receptive it is life! The first soil mentioned is the hardened soil, much like where people and animals walk and it becomes hard and dry. The seed will not survive, much like people who have hardened souls with a protective shell around them, often out of fear. Next the shallow soil (like the shallow soul) is rocky and has only a thin layer of topsoil; chances are the seed will wither when the sun come out as the soil is not deep enough for the roots. If our lives are centered on ourselves, our soul becomes shallow and we lack empathy for others. We have depth only when connected to the Lord. The third soil is one with thorns much like cluttered souls. The seed gets choked out by desiring things of this world and becoming busy with the wrong things. It is like those who don’t recognize they are dead inside, since they are so preoccupied with activity and busyness of the world. But the good soil is one that is soft and has depth and will produce much fruit. That is what our soul longs for, that deep connection to the Lord. Ortberg writes that God designed us so that our thoughts, desires and behavior would be in harmony with each other, and this happens as we live in unbroken connection with God. Let us not live superficially but give time to our soul that is the deepest part of us and lasts forever.
Challenge for today: Confess any known sin that keeps you from deeply connecting with the Lord.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

February 15, 2021

February 15, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you had a wonderful Valentine’s Day! We hope to go out tomorrow to celebrate! This morning I made a pot of stew, and egg dishes, went to Aldi’s and then to my exercise class. Ann may stop by this afternoon and then we will walk inside again.
When we come to know the Lord, it is a wonderful beginning of a life to be lived for Him. It isn’t like we have arrived but rather the start of our journey to become more like Him. One might think that everything will be easy and comfortable but much of the journey is difficult with troubles; these are not to trip us up but to help us grow and become strong. But it isn’t all about us either, for we are called to serve Him in the world in which we live. He has given everything for us, what will we do for Him? How will we live and serve others is an indicator of a life given to God. Jesus said we would be known by the fruit in our lives. Our whole lives should be involved with Him—our marriage, our children, our schedules, our relationships, our jobs and money. He wants all of us and our whole life.  Some seek a long and comfortable and prosperous life but it is more important to have a full live lived for God. I have been reading the lives of people who gave everything for the cause of Christ; people like William Carey, Jim Elliot, David Brainerd, Mary Slessor and a host of others who sacrificed their lives but experienced the joy of saying yes, to what God called them to do. Jim Elliot and wife went to minister among the Auca Indians of Ecuador and Jim was martyred, along with four other missionaries. When his wife later read his journal he had written, “God, I pray Thee, light these idle sticks of my life that I my burn up for Thee. Consume my life, my God for it is Thine. I seek not a long life but a full one, like you Lord Jesus.” When we were young my mom read us missionary stories and at various times missionaries stayed at our home. We prayed for them and heard their stories as they loved to share what God was doing in the country they were called to. They gave up a comfortable life and yet experienced incredible joy. Our lives are full when we surrender our own plans and live to serve the Lord out of hearts of love. In Eph. 5:2 (The Message) it says, “Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with Him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of Himself to us. Love like that.” Are we willing to give up all for Him?
Challenge for today: Ask yourself the question, how can I best give of my life for Him?
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

February 13, 2021

February 13, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones, 
Hope you are keeping warm and snug. We woke up to -28 today and are glad we don’t have to go anywhere today.Emoji We had a fun evening at Ann’s last night! This morning I wrote letters, did a Bible Study and made S.F. cookies and a veggie dish.  
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Al and I came home last night feeling light and joyful as we had been to the lake to celebrate two of our grandson’s birthdays. We had had a delicious lamb dinner, saw the beautiful renovation they had done to our former home, but most important it was our time together in celebration. We had brought balloons, and games and prizes, cake and snacks and enjoyed a fun time. As I woke up this morning, the thought came to me, that is the secret during this stressful time of COVID, is to find ways to give out to others. We read that depression has tripled during this time and people are having trouble coping even to the point of suicide. We know emotional stress affects our bodies, robs us of sleep, affects our hormones and microbiome, increases inflammation and the list goes on and on. We can eat the right foods, exercise, hydrate, but if the body is stressed our life will be shortened when we try to handle it ourselves; we are told to practice yoga, get a pet, exercise, meditate, use humor, eat berries etc. and these may give some relief but our true help is in the Lord. When we lean into Him, He gives us hope and shows us another way of gaining strength, so that what is happening in the world, will not press us down. That’s when the light turned on for me this morning. We have all been given spiritual gifts and they are found in Romans 12:6-8; we have at least one of them that we received when we came into this world. It could be the gift of prophecy, or serving, or teaching, or exhorting, or giving, or leadership, or acts of mercy. But what a perfect time to use these gifts to the fullest, and as Paul goes on to say, put love into action. If you have the gift of mercy, you may find ways to listen and show compassion to a friend who feels like she is sinking. Or if you have the gift of serving, you can double what you are making for your family meal and bring to a mom who is trying to keep it together as she works and helps her kids do school. Or if you have the gift of giving, you might send money to another whose job was terminated because of COVID. There is much we can do as we use the gifts of grace given us, and we will find that our own hearts are renewed, just as my heart was last night. Surprisingly, we may also find we even sleep better, as we come to experience great joy in sharing Christ’s love with others in a myriad of ways.
Challenge for today: Do something special today for someone that needs uplifting.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

 

February 12, 2021

February 12, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Happy weekend! Burr it was -23 when we got up this morning and colder up at the lake. We are going up there for supper tonight and to celebrate Paul and Lar’s birthdays. This morning I cleaned the apartment, made our favorite bars, and Lar’s favorite salad. We are going to make a stop on the way as it was a friend’s birthday yesterday. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
We all have a choice to make whether we settle for a shallow life lived on the surface or one that is centered in God with a deep interior life. Sadly, some people are not interested in their inner life and live on the surface, as their soul gradually shrivels. I have been reading John Ortberg’s book, Soul Keeping, and he shares that in each of us there is a soul that integrates our whole being—will, mind, and body—into a spiritual being with an eternal destiny; but when we are not centered in God, we are like a flower that is no longer connected to the vine and we wither. We need to give attention to our interior life and Ortberg compares it to a stream. He tells the story of an old man who lived high in the Alps by a stream that was fed by springs. The water was crystal clear and the old man would travel between the springs and clean out the debris that would pollute the water. He was called the Keeper of the Springs. Because much of his work was done unseen, the town council decided not to pay him and put their money elsewhere. But when the springs were not tended, mud and silt, branches and farm wastes turned the stream into stagnant bogs. After a while the towns people noticed that the children didn’t play there any more, the swans flew away, and people became ill. Then the council took action to rehire the old man and health was restored. The stream is compared to our soul and we are the keeper. If we tend our soul it will bring harmony to the other areas of our life and give us strength and direction. When our soul is rooted in the Lord we will be constantly refreshed and experience incredible peace. Al has a soul care group for the men at church and they meet together and help one another in their walk with the Lord. We read verses of Scripture that tell us that He will keep our souls, sustain our souls, satisfy our thirsty souls etc. In Psalm 62:5(ESV) David says, “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him.” In the Message translation David says in the next verse, “He’s solid rock under my feet, breathing room for my soul.” We were made for fellowship with the Lord and when we know Him in a deep way, it is well with our soul!
Challenge for today: Quiet yourself before the Lord and ask Him to bring restoration to your soul.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

 

February 11, 2021

February 11, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Perhaps we have all had times in our lives when we had no words to pray. Maybe we were going through a time of grief and so overwhelmed that words escaped us. I read Tish Harrison-Warren’s book, Prayer in the Night and she shares how the written prayers of the church can be a comfort at such times. She is an Anglican priest and experienced the darkness of night in the grief of her father’s death followed by her miscarriage of a son. When she was bleeding profusely and fighting for her life in the ER, she couldn’t find words to pray. She told her husband that she wanted to pray Compline, which is an ancient nighttime prayer service of the church. “Keep us as the apple of your eye. Hide us under the shadow of your wing. Lord have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord have mercy. Defend us, Lord, from the perils and dangers of this night.” It helped her to hang on to the reality of God’s goodness and love even in the midst of her sorrow and dark night of her soul. Compline contains confession, the reading of Psalms and other scriptures, written prayers, and a time for silence and free form prayers. God can use so many ways to help us when we are unable to even put our thoughts and emotions into words. At such times when I have needed faith for something big, I have even quoted the catechism that I memorized when young. “I believe I cannot by my own understanding or effort believe in Jesus Christ my Lord, or come to Him. But the Holy Spirit has called me through the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, and sanctified and kept me in true faith.” Other times a song might come to our minds or a familiar hymn; or we might pray the Lord’s prayer with special emphasis on an area of our present need. When we are lonely and need strength and don’t know how to put it in words, sometimes the written prayers of others can just be what we need.  But even when we don’t have words at all, the Lord knows our thoughts and draws us close to Him. Sometimes we might just want to sit in His presence out in nature and ask Him to just read our hearts and give us what we need. As I read this morning from Psalm 139:1-3 (ESV) David prayed, “O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.”
Challenge for today: Read Psalm 139 prayerfully
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

February 10, 2021

February 10, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are having a peaceful day. This morning I made a G.F. birthday cake with one layer chocolate and the other white (with 7 eggs) and now I am making choc covered raspberries. Emoji Al had his Men’s Soul Care group and I went to my exercise class. I suspect we will walk inside today as it is cold! Please pray for our friend, Gen, who was diagnosed with stage 4 Abdominal Cancer and is in pain. Also include her husband and teenage son and daughter. Thank you!  
Devotions from Judy’s heart
What do we want to leave behind for our kids and grandkids to remember? What is most important? They may desire to get some tangible things when we die, but more important is the example of a life lived for God.  When my parents died, a couple items I received was a tea cart that use to be a resting place for my mom’s many violets and a corner knick-knack shelf that held some pretty vases and dishes. As I dusted them so many times, I was continually reminded of my mom and dad and the lives they lived. It was their example of faith and helping and giving to others that has stuck with me.  It’s good to ask ourselves what will we leave behind that will inspire others in their walk with the Lord? It’s not so much what we teach but what we live that remains with them. I saw the joy in my parents when they gave money to missionaries or gave a Bible Study to those incarcerated at the Work house etc. I ask myself how giving I am?  How loving am I? Recently I read of Pastor Jeremiah’s church that during COVID has been serving 50,000 pounds of food each week to the needy; those 60 or so members that are giving out the food are full of joy for they are practicing what Jesus said in I John 5:7& 12 (God’s Word), “Dear Friends, we must love each other because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born from God and knows God…If we love each other, God lives in us, and His love is perfected in us.” A life of love will constantly be giving out to others, in response to what God has given. Love isn’t just a feeling but it is an action, a choice we make. An expression of His love is giving and serving others for it is a natural outflow of all that we contain within.  As we live a life of love, we will also then leave behind a path for our loved ones to follow and to remember.
Challenge for today: Ask the Lord to help you live and overflow in His love by serving others.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy
 

February 9, 2021

February 9, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are having a good day and staying warm. Burr! We woke up to -11 below. I still went to Aldi’s and then downstairs for coffee and muffins. Just a  minute ago I got a message that one of my friends from my former Bible Study died last night and now she is with the Lord! 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Death is an absolute certainty, for all of us will experience death, unless the Lord comes back first. During COVID we have all had an opportunity to examine how we live and to realize what is important in light of eternity. II Cor. 5:6-8 (ESV) says, “So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” During this brief time on earth, we are away from the Lord but one day when we die; if we know the Lord, we will be at home with Him forever.  Maybe we have had lots of thoughts lately about our mortality and have seen death up closer than ever before; hopefully it has also changed how we live each day. We pray to Jesus who Himself has experienced death and is our ultimate destiny. Ever since the day we were born, we have been in the dying process and God decides our final moment on earth. We must accept our mortality and not run from it. We will of course, experience suffering in this life for we have never been promised that we will escape it; but it can become preparation as we realize God is most present with us in those dark times. We come to know how fragile our life is and how much we need Him. Our granddaughter loves plants and recently I went with her to a huge nursery where I have never seen so many varieties of plants. There are ones that even bloom in the dark like moonflowers, evening prim roses, and others that can only be viewed in all their glory after dark. Perhaps God is most present to us in those dark moments, in our times of suffering when we long for comfort. Our culture is one that wants comfort and not suffering. Perhaps that’s why there are so many addictions as people search for short term comfort. But it doesn’t work, for as soon the deep pain surfaces again, we try to find ways to numb our pain. But when we turn to the Lord, it can rather be a time that we can more readily receive His strength and love. He may not take us out of our situations, but is with us in the midst. Let us not fear death for it is a defeated enemy, but let us be changed by our trials during our time on earth, for it is preparation for an eternity with the Lord.
Challenge for today: Ask the Lord to help you bloom in those dark moments!
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

February 8, 2021

February 8, 2021 / / 0 Comments

Dear Ones, Hope you had a good weekend. We had a wonderful time at our son’s family in Kansas and yes, we all watched the Super Bowl together. Sadly, the Chiefs lost. We are home now and left at 4 a.m. with snow covered roads at first; but then they cleared and had good roads all the rest of the way. Thank you for prayers.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

In many ways, we all subscribe to the prosperity gospel as we think and expect God to make things in our lives work out if we do our part. And yet we may pray for years and not receive what we are asking for, and may continue to suffer from some form of sickness our whole lives. We want an end to our sickness, and resolution to problems, and enough money not to have to pinch every penny. But did God really promise that He would do that and give us immediate results? No. Some with chronic illnesses may never be healed in this life, but it doesn’t mean the person has less faith. God’s path for our lives may include persecution, and struggles, but underneath it all are precious pearls, the shaping of our lives to be more like Him, and His glory shining forth. One day we may see more clearly what God’s purpose was, but for now we humbly pray and accept His divine will for us. I think of a friend that has several health issues she has been living with for years, and yet she doesn’t complain. We just trust God for whatever healing He would do as we pray, pray. God promises us abundant life, and it may not look like what we envision but it is deep and lasting and satisfying. Those that seem prosperous outwardly seem to have a harder time to trust, as they may see no need for God. Others going through hardship know they need help. They experience His goodness and love in the midst, knowing God suffers with them. We are all called to pray and enter into the suffering of others. Sometimes they are miraculously healed and others we are being shaped by what they are going through. While at our son’s church the pastor shared of another pastor who was in a foreign country that did not allow proselyting. This pastor was asked to make a visit to a family of a loved one who died and needed comfort. The local official said it was not allowed and he could not do that. But since this would not be trying to convert others, the official relented and said okay; The pastor could go and pray for the dead man but if he didn’t recover, he would go to jail. (He had been imprisoned before) Everyone prayed and God answered and raised the dead man to life and a revival broke out in his church. Let us all reach out to share Christ with others and pray for them, and then leave the results up to Him who knows all things. As it says in Psalm 107:19-21″Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.” 

Challenge for today: Pray and begin to thank God for however He chooses to answer your prayers.

Blessings on the rest of your day and prayers and love, Judy

 

A Perfect Storm

February 7, 2021 / / 0 Comments

An unknown author recently described this past year: “Year 2020 has been a brutal, perfect storm of a pandemic, a contentious election, racial unrest, financial troubles and conspiracy theories.”  One way of visualizing this storm is to see it as a rising flood.  

The approaching flood waters are a warning to wild men (men of faith) reading this blog.  The water will continue to rise before our very eyes. It will not level off for some time. God’s intervention in history has often been portrayed as a flood. The Psalmist prayed, “Surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him” (Ps 32:6).   

A flood describes God’s retribution of his own people. “See, the Lord has one who is powerful and strong.  Like a hailstorm and a destructive wind, like a driving rain and a flooding downpour he will throw it forcefully to the ground” (Is. 28:2).  Here God is speaking of the king of Assyria bringing destruction on Israel.

Committed followers of Jesus will need to be prepared for a flood of opposition and confrontation coming from those who have gained influence in our culture. Our experience could be similar to the Psalmist, “He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of the deep waters” (Ps 18:16).  This blog could very well be speaking to more than one man who feels almost overcome by the flood waters of our destitute culture.   

In Psalm 69, David’s prayer give expression to being overcome by a flood. “Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck.  I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold.  I have come into the deep waters, the flood engulfs me (vv1-2).  You might not identify with David at this point in your journey, but trust me, many of you will face a torrent that will cause you to be anxious, doubt, and become discouraged.   

Each man needs to realize that God has allowed such floods throughout history in order to bring renewal to his people.  We are going to experience the flood and possibly its aftermath.  We need to be praying as Jeremiah did, knowing that he would endure the judgment of God. “So correct us, God, as you see best.  Don’t lose your temper.  That would be the end of us. Vent your anger on the godless nations, who refuse to acknowledge you and on the people who won’t pray to you” (Jer. 11:24-25). 

To endure the coming flood upon our land, we first and foremost must make a choice. We are either all in for Jesus or we could be swept away by the flood.  This does not mean physical loss, but the loss of soul.  Jesus said in Mark 8:36, “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?”.

Secondly, take inventory of your priorities and commitments.  Are you building on the rock or on sinking sand?  If you are honest, you know the difference.  “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock… (Matt 7:24).

Thirdly, be sure you are in the ark.  This of course is the body of Christ.  The ark is built on relationships.  Make sure you are part of the body, and not a lone wolf. Fourthly, when you feel like you are sinking, cry out to Jesus for mercy.  Remember Jesus words when he comes to his disciples in the storm.  “Why are you so afraid?  Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:40).

 

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