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: November 2021 (Page 3 of 4)

Novemeber 10, 2021

November 10, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
It seems like it is trying to snow today but we are hoping it holds off as our son and buddies are painting the Silver Chateau. They went to the cabin yesterday afternoon and trying to get it done. This morning I baked cookies and mades stew and  went for my eye appointment. This afternoon is Crafts and tonight is Bible study. Al preached this morning next door at Assisted Living and gave communion, and will be doing it once a month.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Have we forgotten God? Do we take Him for granted? I was reading today from Psalm 106 (The Message) and it tells of how the children of Israel took God’s wonders for granted and forgot God’s great and wonderful love. They cared only about pleasing themselves and turned a deaf ear to His voice; so, God gave them empty hearts and most of them never entered the Promise Land. Sadly, they wandered for 40 years in the wilderness and then missed seeing the land flowing with milk and honey.
All of us need to come back to God if we have wandered off on our own. We need to get rid of the things that separate us from Him and come into His presence in deep ways.
I was reading of King Hezekiah who ruled in Jerusalem for 29 years and how he helped the people come back to God. The temple was in disrepair and he called the priests and Levites together and told them to consecrate themselves; he also said to consecrate the temple and give it a good housecleaning as the doors were boarded up and acts of worship were canceled. They obeyed and took 8 days to get rid of the filth and pagan junk and cleansed and consecrated the temple. I was reminded of all the worldly rubbish that has entered the church today how it needs to also be cleansed. We are to be witnesses and lights to the world and not let the world take over the church!
After the cleansing, the people brought thank offering and sacrifices and worshiped the Lord. King Hezekiah had the Levites form an orchestra with instruments of cymbals, harps, zithers etc. and the priests played their trumpets while the singers sang. When the burnt offering of 600 bulls and 3,000 sheep was finished, the king and all of the people bowed to the ground and worshiped. Following that the Levites sang anthems of praise with joy and reverence as they knelt before the Lord. The people had come back to God and it was an awesome time.
The people went home and later the King sent out invitations for the people to return for Passover.
They celebrated for 7 days with feasting and worship, and then decided to keep going for another week as they were bursting with joy. What a difference it makes when we give ourselves fully to the Lord rather than wandering off. Let us not forget the Lord but live in His immense love and joy.
Challenge for today: Ask for forgiveness and cleansing and for a heart that seeks the Lord.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

November 9, 2021

November 9, 2021 / / 0 Comments
 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
I want to be on God’s time, at least I think I do, or maybe most of the time. If you are like me, there are times we rather have the Lord act right now on our time table, not later. There are instances when we may not understand why the Lord is delaying but it is a time to trust that He knows best and is not withholding from us. We read in Psalm 31:14-15, “But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord: I say, ‘You are my God.” My times are in Your hand.”
Recently, I read what Cecil Murphey, a speaker and author of over 100 books, had to say about God’s timing. He knows what it means to wait as he shares times that he had urgent needs and had to wait. Later he discovered that perhaps things were not so urgent and he wonders why he was so stressed. One time when he felt overwhelmed by all he had to get done, he sensed the Lord saying to him, “You have time to do everything you need to do!” If it is on God’s agenda for the day, then there is time for us to do it.
Maybe we are like impatient children at times, who can hardly wait to receive a treasured gift, or for an event to happen, and we keep asking our parents, when?! But Cecil gives us examples from scripture of those who had to patiently wait.
Like Abraham who was told when he was 75 years old that he would have a son but the wait was 25 more years! Or Samuel who anointed David King of Israel, but it took 40 years for him to get the crown. Or apostle Paul who was told he would speak before kings and he waits a dozen years!
Just like all of them, we often wait. For Al and I it was the dream of having a retreat house for pastors and wives and we thought it would happen in Des Moines. But it was 11 years afterwards that it actually happened and not in Iowa but in the woods of MN, a perfect place!
Cecil writes a poem as he realizes God’s time table is best:
“Big-Time Operator,
 when I try to think of all the timing you’re involved in
 every hour of every day around the universe,
it goes beyond my comprehension.
 When it comes to temporal matters,
I don’t understand your timetable.
 I do understand, though
 that you love me, and you don’t withhold what I need.
That’s enough for me to understand. Amen.”
Challenge for today: Tell God your requests but in peace and patience leave the timing up to Him.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

November 8, 2021

November 8, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you had a great weekend. This morning I made a cherry cheesecake pie, a stir fry veggie dish, and choc covered raspberries that seem to disappear rapidly.Emoji I also went to my exercise class and later we plan to go on the Paul Bunyan trail. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Our faith is often tested during troublesome times, and we may wonder if we will pass the test, showing our faith to be genuine. Peter says in I Peter 1:6-7, “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trialls, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
We all go through these times of testing and our pastor used Moses one Sunday as an example in his sermon. He got our attention as he came down the aisle dressed as Moses in a long robe, wearing a mask of an old man with flowing gray hair and beard, carrying a long rod. He looked just like the pictures you likely saw in Sunday School of Moses carrying the 10 commandments.
Pastor shared how Moses’ parents defied human authority to do what was right before God. Hebrew baby boys were to be killed at birth and yet his parents ignored the king’s edict and hid Moses for 3 months. Baby Moses was found by Pharaoh’s daughter and raised in the palace but later in life, Moses also gave up his privileged life to identify with God’s people. He was willing to give up the treasures of Egypt for eternal reward. He left Egypt and by faith led the people of God out of Egypt and through the Red Sea and trusted in God’s provision for salvation. He certainly passed the test of faith as he saw the big picture, and gave up earthly pleasures.
How about us when tested? Do we resist when to obey man would be to go against God’s way? Or are we short sighted and give in to the pressures around us that go against God. We need courage when it becomes necessary to defy man’s authority to do what is right in God’s sight?
Like the song goes, “I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold/ I’d rather have Jesus than riches untold/ I’d rather have Jesus than houses or land. I’d rather be led by his nail pierced hand/ Than to be the king of a vast domain/ or be held in sin’s dread sway/ I’d rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today.”
Let us be people of faith that when tested come forth as pure gold!
Challenge for today: Ask the Holy Spirit to show you any area of your life that you are compromising in, and stand up for what is right in God’s sight.
Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy

 

“Make Lying Wrong Again”

November 8, 2021 / / 0 Comments

In a recent report, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a dire warning: “…The world is moving in the wrong direction and faces dangerous trends…[and] is under ‘enormous stress.'”  He laments how injustice is bringing people into the streets to protest, “while conspiracy theories and lies fuel deep divisions within societies.”  

The Secretary-General urged global action to deal with disinformation and conspiracy theories. He proposed facts, science, and “integrity” in public discourse. He then ended with this plea, “We must make lying wrong again.”  I could not get this statement out of my mind. Here we have a world leader sounding almost like an evangelist: “We need to stop lying…” to which we all can say, “Amen.” 

How can this be accomplished in our broken world? My contention is that it can only happen slowly, and that courageous men need to come forth, stand in the gap, and dare to live by the truth. The problem is that many men are missing in action, having abandoned the truth. In her important book, “Crisis in Masculinity” Leanne Payne notes, “The power to honor the truth – to speak it and be it – is at the heart of true masculinity.” She goes on to say, “A culture will never become decadent in the face of a healthy, balanced masculinity…When a nation or an entire western culture backslides, it is the masculine which is first to decline.”

As followers of Jesus, we as men can lead in making lying wrong again. Jesus tells us in John 18:37, “…For this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”  Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). He tells his followers, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). In his high priestly prayer, Jesus prays, “Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth” (John 17:17 NLT).

In our day, with so much deception and verbal wrangling over what is true, it seems to me that we as men need to be integrated in our understanding of truth. Here are three factors to consider in our battle to “make lying wrong again.”

First, truth must be the basis of our worldview and assimilated into our very being. It is similar to the experience of Jeremiah: “When I discovered your words, I devoured them” (Jer. 15:16 NLT).  The NET notes, “The prophet accepted them, assimilated them, and made them such a part of himself that he spoke with complete assurance what he knew were God’s words.” 

Secondly, truth must be allowed to penetrate our inner life, so that we have not only an intellectual grasp of the truth, but we also seek to know the truth about ourselves, our relationships, and the world in which we live. Truth is relational because Jesus is Truth – and we can relate to him as Savior and Friend. Truth (meaning Christ) in a man needs to affect one’s whole being (Gal. 2:20).

Thirdly, we must walk out truth in life. Oh, that God would raise up more men of integrity. These are honest, courageous men, who have not only been pruned by the truth, but men who are willing to put their very lives on the line for the truth. That would make us martyrs. Might you become a martyr for the truth – in both the big things and the little things? 

 

November 6, 2021

November 6, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are enjoying this sunny day! I imagine there are some happy hunters that have gotten their deer. I did food prep and cleaned the apartment this morning  and got some chicken soup made. Ann may stop by  as she is shopping in Baxter. 
Just think, we get an hour more sleep tonight so must remember to set our clocks back tonight! 
 Devotions from Judy’s heart
God is always at work, even though we may not see what He is doing with our physical eyes at the time. He does not slumber but is at work all the while. When we plant seeds in our gardens, it takes time for what is happening beneath the soil before we actually physically see something begin to sprout. During that time, we have to be patient and wait, making sure the seed gets sunshine and water.
In the Fall I bought a small growth kit for parsley. I put the medium pellet in water, fluffed it and put it in the pretty pot and sowed seeds. After being in a sunny window on my tea cart for a short time, all kinds of greens peeked up and were visibly growing. I was excited as it is hard to believe that the dry small pellet was the seedbed that produced life, and a short time later decorated our dinners with fresh parsley.
It is a lesson in faith when we can trust that the Lord is working, even though there is no physical evidence. When we pray, He hears and answers, even though it still remains hidden what He is doing. But during this time, we are to trust Him, to pray, and to read His Word, while watching in faith for signs. We need spiritual eyes to see and we can pray as Paul did in Eph.1:18-19 (NRSV),” so that with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power for us, who believe, according to the working of His great power.” Our eyes need to be enlightened and focused on the Lord in trust. The enemy will sow seeds of doubt in our hearts, telling us that nothing is really happening, or even that the worst is taking place. But we have to have eyes of faith and not let the deceiver distract us and cause defeat. The Lord wants us to be full of hope and to know His incredible power and love. Let us pray and rely on Him and expectantly wait in faith for what He will do.
Challenge for today:  Pray about a concern you have and then begin thanking him for how He is working, even though you don’t yet see.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

November 5, 2021

November 5, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Happy weekend to you! It is a rainy cool day and I don’t envy the deer hunters sitting out there tomorrow waiting! Emoji  I got out the rest of our winter clothes this morning and also shovels, boots etc. I made a chicken dish and Oh Henry bars so the house is full of yummy aroma. This afternoon Al and I are going shopping. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
How many of us have anxiety over the future? We don’t know what is going to happen next, and watching the news seems only to increase our fears can suck the joy right out of us. But as Christians we must remember who we belong to and what our eternal destiny is, for this life on earth is not all there is. When we know the Lord, we also know that all will end well, even though we may have to experience difficult things on earth.
Every day we have a choice of how we will view things, whether it is a negative outlook or if we will see things from a positive perspective. Early in the morning when I write, I look out on our courtyard and see 7 beautiful pine trees and over a dozen other trees, plus hanging pots with colored leaves etc. My neighbor and I were remarking how we think we have the best view in our apartment complex as we don’t have to face the traffic on the road but have a view of nature from second floor. As I look out on the trees and the trail, I marvel at the majesty of God. He created all of this and He is worthy of our trust and praise.
When we focus on our Heavenly Father, our problems seem less in comparison for we know that our life here is only temporary. Like Phil. 3:20 (The Message) says, “But there’s far more to life for us. We’re citizens of high heaven! We’re waiting the arrival of the Savior, the Master, Jesus Christ, who will transform our earthly bodies into glorious bodies like his own.” No matter what we face in this life, whether it be loneliness, pain and suffering, the Lord will lead us through to the other side where there is no sorrow or suffering but an eternity with Him.
Let us focus not so much on our present problems but view our life through the window of His love. Then we will have peace in the midst of all we go through, for we know what is coming one day.
Challenge for today: Spend some time pondering what heaven will be like and thank the Lord for what He is preparing for you.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

 

November 4, 2021

November 4, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are having a good day and keeping warm. This morning I went to Aldi’s to stock up on food and then downstairs for donuts and coffee. Soon we will be having our weekly Bible Study and then I am getting my hair cut so will miss my walk today. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Today we see so much confusion, oppression, and uncertainty in our world. We must be careful that discouragement doesn’t seep into our hearts, but that we stand our ground and are strong in the Lord. I read what Ralph Martin had to say to students of Hillsdale College on how to live in these challenging times but maybe we all need to hear it. He suggests that we join the resistance and help each other to resist. We can begin doing that by giving ourselves more completely to God and let Him fill us with the power of the Holy Spirit. We need that today if we are going to stand our ground against the enemy’s tactics. We can resist by putting ourselves under God’s authority and this includes our mind, will and emotions. We cannot go in our own power.
Pete Burak also shared we need to pray for a New Pentecost and that means new vision, boldness, conviction and power. We need new vision to see how God is at work and how we are to cooperate with what He is already doing. We also need boldness and I love the example that Pete gave. He recalled when he at a boy’s camp during high school, there was a 9th grade boy who was rough and did not want to be there. Pete felt God say, “Tell Mike how much I love him.” He did some fast praying and asked for the Holy Spirit’s help and suddenly he felt like fire and energy being poured into him. So, he walked over and said, “Mike, I don’t know what’s going on in your life, or where you’re at right now, but I need you to know Jesus loves you. The Holy spirit told me to tell you that no matter what you’ve done, He loves you, He sees you, and He knows you.”  Mike began weeping and counselors came over and prayed with him. Later he gave his testimony before the whole camp of how he repented and wanted to live for the Lord. All because Pete was bold and spoke what God said.
Besides vision and boldness, we also need conviction because we believe that we have life only in His Son; if we do not believe in Him we will not have life. That message needs to be shared with others so they will come to know Him.
All of us need power to proclaim Jesus and that power comes to us through the Holy Spirit. It is often accompanied by gifts of the Spirt and signs and wonders. Sometimes we may see people healed or a person coming into the kingdom after a life far away from God.
May we all share the Lord with others through new vision, boldness, strong conviction and walking in the power of the Spirit!
Challenge for today: Resist the enemy and share the Lord in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

November 3, 2021

November 3, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are enjoying a grace-filled day! Al had the Men’s Soul group this morning and I studied, did food prep and went to my exercise class. This afternoon it is Craft class and then tonight is Bible Study at church…A good day! 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Let us all eat well and take in healthy nutrients each day that we may become strong and vibrant and have a good immune system. Eating nutritious food is important and I like to heap up my grocery cart with lots of nutritious veggies and fruit and meat. Al says he can tell when I am getting ready to go to grocery shopping as I am all eager to go and happy to come home with good things to eat.
I love to cook for Al as he will try whatever I make and is full of grateful compliments. Even before he tastes the food, he notices the variety of color on his plate as I might do a medley of veggies, lots of different fruits etc. He always seems eager to come to the table and we share together as we eat. It is fun to cook for him!
One day I felt the Lord impressing on me that He also loves when we are eager to take in spiritual food (His Word) each day, just like our physical food. Rather than thinking of eating as something we have to do, we regard it with anticipation to satisfy our spiritual hunger. The Lord knows exactly what we need for the day and feeds us just the right things. Our part is to receive what He gives us, digest it and let it become part of us. Rather than turning up our nose when He gives us something new to try, we can ponder it and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the meaning to us. Can’t you just picture the Lord watching us as we eat and delighting that we are taking in what He gives us. But it must also be disappointing when we refuse what He is giving us and grab something sweet and more to our own liking. But then in the middle of the day, we will likely find ourselves hungry and wishing we had taken something substantial that He tried to feed us earlier.
We can’t live on yesterday’s manna but we need His fresh Word each day that will fuel us. Jesus told the crowd in John 6:35 (ESV), “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” Only the Lord can satisfy our deepest spiritual hunger and let us receive what He gives us each day; and like Al, may we respond in thankfulness for whatever is on His menu for us.
Challenge for today:  Feed on the Word and carry what the Lord gives into your day.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

 

November 2, 2021

November 2, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you wake with with a fresh start to your day. What seems to help you when you have a dry times? 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Are there times we feel parched and dry and long for our thirst to be quenched? Maybe you are like me when you wake in the night feeling very thirsty and quickly reach for a glass of water. Ahh! Just what we need! But all of us can get spiritually dry as well; we feel distant from the Lord and long to draw close again. I think King David felt like that when he prayed in Psalm 63:1 (God’s Word), “O God, you are my God. At dawn I search for you. My soul thirsts for you. My body longs for you in a dry, parched land where there is no water.”  Mark Roberts from Fuller Seminary writes about spiritual thirst that can sometimes be a by-product of overwork and stress. In the midst of our busy lives, we cry out to the Lord, and know how much we need Him to quench the thirst of our souls. Roberts prays a prayer for such times and I am including it today as I imagine all of us have those times in our lives.
“Gracious God, I feel so dry these days. My soul is parched. I have so much to do that I find it hard to make time for you. I know I need you, but my dryness numbs me to that need.
So I let the words of the Psalm express the deeper longings of my heart.
“O God, you are my God.” Yes, you are King of kings and Lord of lords. But you are also my God, my Strength, my Savior, my Friend.
‘I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you’ Sometimes I’m so dried out that I can’t even feel my thirst. Yet I know it’s there. And, every now then, by your grace, I can feel it again. I know how much I need you. You are the deepest desire of my heart.
“As in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” There isn’t much living water in the places where I work. There’s no obvious “spiritual water cooler.” What I must do each day is more draining than filling. But I know you are there, Lord. You are with me each moment throughout the day. You are there to sustain me, to nourish me, to encourage me.
O Lord, help me to lie down in your green pastures. Lead me beside your still waters. Restore my soul! Amen.”
Challenge for today: When you feel dry and thirsting go quickly to Him who offers living water and drink deeply.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

  

November 1, 2021

November 1, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you had a fun weekend and time to get refreshed. This morning i made egg dishes and veggie stir fry etc. and went to my exercise class with my friend just two doors down. It seems like it is trying to snow out today…burr!
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Are we copycats? Do we see what others are doing and then try to mimic the same or do we rather seek to find what is individually best for our own lives? Teens especially want to know what is “in” and then dress like others, even if the style is not favorable for them. Pastors can hear what program was successful in another church and decide to do the same, even though it may not be what is best for their congregation. We can hear of some method of spending time with the Lord but then discover that it is not what works for us to draw closer to Him.
We are individually made and unique so we don’t need to copy someone else to find out know how to live our lives. We can observe and learn from them, but we have to discover what is right for us. God has put the exact gifts, the perfect personality, and everything needed to carry out what He has planned for our lives.
I was reading from Psalm 119 today and in verse 33 (The Message) the Psalmist says, “God, teach me lessons for living so I can stay the course. Give me insight so I can do what you tell me—my whole life one long, obedient response.” Then in verse 73 he says, “With your very own hands you formed me; now breathe your wisdom over me so I can understand you.”  The Psalmist wants to be taught God’s way for his life and goes on to say that God’s Word is a lamp for him and will light his path.
This morning I asked Al how he spends his time with the Lord after we have had prayer together. Since he is in his study and I am at my desk in our bedroom, I don’t know what His time with the Lord looks like. But we did discover that ours are different for I am more methodical and he is more spontaneous. But we don’t have to approach our devotional life the same but what is meaningful in our walk with the Lord. God wants to individually lead us and we don’t have to copy anyone else!
Challenge for today: Don’t be a copycat but ask the Holy Spirit to be your guide in your daily walk.
Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy
« Older posts Newer posts »
Email Subscription

Lists*

© 2024 Canaan's Rest

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑