Canaan's Rest

Dear Ones,

Devotions from Judy’s heart
All of us might have thought how wonderful it would be if we only experienced seasons of joy and consolation, sensing Jesus’ presence with us all the time. In truth, Christians’ lives often begin that way and we think that is the way it will always be. We may not have known that we will go through times when we feel the Lord has withdrawn from us, as if we are in a desert and all is dry. This is not because God loves us less, rather He wants us to come close to Him and to seek Him by faith. Sadly, many who are not taught this end up feeling like they are falling apart and failing, so they try even harder in their own strength. But that is not what God is after, for He wants us to be totally dependent on Him.

The Lord desires to mature us, so we become strong in Him and do not give up when such times of desolation come to us. It is not His intent that we try to fix things ourselves, but that we see how much we need Him and depend on Him. We are not to live simply by our senses, but to seek after the Lord, even when we have no feelings. Paul says in Col 3:3, ”For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Our Christian life becomes a hidden life, where we don’t live by our senses but by faith. As I write these thoughts, it reminds me of when we were first married and Al and I could hardly bear to be apart. He still had to go to class at Augsburg and I still had to take care of patients at the hospital, but we could hardly wait to get home to one another. Of course, life goes on, and we had children, responsibilities and had to function even when we were tired and got up at night with crying babies. That was more of a test of our love, for it wasn’t all warm feelings, but showing love even when we would rather just curl up and take a nap.

Life with the Lord isn’t all seasons of breathless joy and sunny circumstances, but drawing close to Him when skies are cloudy and dark. No, Christians are not always happy, but He gives us more than sunshine so we can stand strong in Him when life gets hard. Charles Spurgeon said there isn’t a believer who can always sing a song of joy. Maybe we had a season of joy at first, because we were a raw recruit and couldn’t be put in the roughest part of the battle. But he goes on to say that we were like a tender plant that He nursed in the hot-house until we were strong and could stand severe weather.

Challenge for today: When going through dry times, know that the Lord is weaning you away from lesser things to find your all in Him.
Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy

Dear Ones,
Happy weekend! Hope you have a refreshing weekend.
We are heading out early for Mora to meet with our former Board from Canaans Rest! We look forward to that each summer and wonderful to hear how the Lord is leading each couple.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Sometimes it is surprising what the Lord places His finger on in our lives. Hopefully we are always open and desire to keep growing and drawing closer to the Lord. I read Gary Thomas’ book, The Life You Were Reborn to Live, and he writes in a powerful way of how we have been all been radically rescued and should therefore be thankful for every good thing that happens in our lives, rather than feeling entitled and complaining of unpleasant situations. We might think entitlement does not apply to us, but perhaps we all have areas of our lives where we need to dismantle feelings of entitlement.

Thomas writes of Fyodor Dostoevsky, a Russian novelist who faced death by a firing squad for anti-government activities. Just as the trigger was about to be pulled, an order was given to send him and others to a hard labor camp in a Siberia for four years. But this sentence was like a gift to him, because he would have otherwise died suddenly from a bullet and his life would have ended. Thomas compares it to our lives, for we have even more so been radically rescued by the Lord, although each of us deserves to die for our sins. No, we are not entitled to a life without problems, or one full of riches and comfort, for we should feel like Fyodor who was thankful to be rescued.

If we are truly grateful, our lives will be joyful, and filled with relief that we don’t get what we deserve but instead receive God’s wonderful gift of salvation. Every moment we live is a gift. Maybe we have been led to believe that we are entitled to the best. Paul writes that we are to be content with food and clothing (I Tim. 6:8), not necessarily a banquet, fancy clothes or a mansion. Some also feel we shouldn’t have problems in life, but Jesus said we would even be persecuted for His sake. Satan wants us to believe that God doesn’t love us if bad things happen and we have a right to complain. Instead, we need to remember to have a joyful mindset of thanksgiving, and worship because we have been rescued and not given what we deserve!

Challenge for today: Ask the Holy Spirit to show you areas of your life you feel entitled and repent; follow with prayers of thanksgiving and praise for being set free.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

Dear Ones,
Hope you have a relaxing weekend and keep cool. Sad about the raging fires and also the poor air quality. This morning Kurt and Brenda and another couple will be stopping in and yesterday Ann and Leif came.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
One day we will see the Lord face to face, and we can’t even imagine what that will be like. But in the meantime, may our desire be to continually draw closer to Him. Have you noticed how often the Lord uses suffering to bring us into a more intimate relationship? Maybe a friend was diagnosed with cancer, or another was in an accident and now they are going to church, making time for their family, and seeking what is important in life.

God doesn’t cause suffering, but He uses suffering for much good in our lives as a means to get our attention, develop our character, and bring growth and intimacy into our lives. We have only to get a painful reminder when we get hurt, that Jesus went through the worst pain and death for us. He knows pain. If we face pain well, we can develop empathy and compassion for others, perseverance and hope. It can be a faith purifying experience and show us our true nature. Maybe we think we are strong and yet when adversity comes, we fold. Or we could be surprised at how well we accepted a difficult situation and saw purpose in it.

Suffering tests the faith in all of us. When we are challenged, we find out if we only trust the Lord when things are going well. On the other hand, it may the very thing that equips us to comfort others, for we know what it is like to go through pain. I found that true after my leg injury and the long recovery, I felt the pain of others who had health issues and could relate, praying much for them. Paul said to the Corinthians that the comfort God gives us when we are afflicted, is so that we also can comfort others. (II Cor 1:3-4) I found also that our suffering often gives us an opportunity to share with others the difference the Lord makes in our suffering. When the wound specialists told me how well I was doing, I would say, “I know it is because of the prayers of so many for me!” The bottom line is that God has control over suffering and He suffers along with us.

Challenge for today: Ask the Lord to help you be a good student, learning from your experiences of suffering to help you grow and to bring Him glory.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

Dear Ones,
Hope you have a wonderful day. Al will be headed to Men’s group and later we have Bible Study. I plan to do some food prep, cleaning and getting donuts!!
Devotions from Judy’s heart
When we seek oneness with the Lord, we will find we also have a natural outflow to others. I believe the Lord must be pleased when we desire to give to others and in selflessness sacrifice for them. We probably all have times of restlessness, when God is all the while trying to turn our hearts to Him and teaching us to rest in Him. We never outgrow our need for the Lord. How wonderful when we can forget self and let Him be our focus!

If we want to become fully alive spiritually, we need to feed the hunger of our soul and allow the Lord to burn away our self-importance. As we do this, we come to love God in deeper ways and also others in our lives. We are willing to sacrifice in self-giving. Don’t we also all wonder at times about what God sees when He looks at us with love. Some days we may feel we fail miserably at being held close, for we go about doing our own thing without regard for His will. How much better to walk out our day with seeking to do His will and following His plan!

Father Haggerty says it well: it boils down to loving the Lord is losing ourselves to gain Him. We lose ourselves for a greater love! A verse comes to my mind, “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31) I am learning more and more what it means to wait on the Lord as my leg heals, for I am not rushing off somewhere but quietly listening and waiting on Him.

Challenge for today: Spend five or ten minutes enjoying the Lord’s presence without words of asking for something but enjoying Him.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

Dear Ones,
Hope you use your time wisely today! I see the Wound Specialist today and after another week or so, I hope to be on my own and nearly healed. PTL and many thanks for your prayers! Many of you are writing that you aren’t getting my devotions and please try to go to canaansrest.org/whispers and scroll to the bottom and resubscribe and hopefully it will work.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Time is important and valuable, and we need to give our time to what is worthwhile. Haven’t we all watched something on T.V. that afterwards we said, “Why did I waste my time with that!”? Many things we know right off the bat that they are not worthy of our time, but sometimes we question things, asking the Holy Spirit to help guide us. Paul says in Eph. 5:15-16, “So then, be very careful how you live. Don’t live like foolish people but like wise people. Make the most of your opportunities because these are evil days.” Some translations say to make the very most of our time, and take advantage of each opportunity.

What could be better to do with our time than to love the Lord, delight in Him, serve Him, enjoy Him and give Him our attention, not just when we go to church but all throughout our day? We can use our time to express our love in a myriad of ways. If we are honest with ourselves, we may say that our time is often wasted on things we love more than the Lord, for they become like idols. Rather than look to the Lord Himself, we may look to other things to give us a sense of identity and security. Some can make idols out of their jobs by giving all their time there while neglecting their families.

What about times we could give a positive witness to what the Lord is doing, and yet we care more about what people will think of us and remain quiet? Rather than affirming our love for the Lord, we care more about protecting ourselves. Instead, let our love for God be demonstrated in our love for others, not judging them. We are to love them and offer what they need the most, not what they can give to us. Some need encouragement, others need comfort, compassion or to be accepted for who they are. Let us not waste our time on what is frivolous, but live each day by His power within us and let His love pour out of us on others.

Challenge for today: Ask the Lord how you may use your time today to express His love to others.

Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

Dear Ones,
Hope you have a blessed day! I have an early morning appointment with the dentist for a tooth extraction! Not my most favorite way to start my day but necessary!
Devotions from Judy’s heart
I know I have written often about surrender because it is so important in our daily lives to give everything to the Lord as we recognize our dependency is on Him. Why do we keep trying to take control when it only brings us anxiety and stress? Surrender is not giving up and throwing in the towel, but it is a positive, loving way of inward yielding to God and His will in our life. This is quite different than someone who surrenders because it is mandatory like to an enemy; rather it is something we do voluntarily. God is so worthy of our trust, for He loves us more than anyone else ever can and wants our good.

Surrender may not look the same for everyone, as we all face life’s challenges differently. Persons who are told by their doctor they have cancer may surrender it all over to the Lord while actively undergoing treatment given by the doctor. Others may go through a time of great grief as they surrender and place their dependency on the Lord, even when they are full of questions as to why. Some focus on their eternal home and feel closer to Him as they prepare for that day, while others lament and ask God to change their circumstances, even as they accept whatever His outcome is.

Of course, none of us will completely understand why certain things happen to us, but we can hand it all over to Him. We don’t need to have all the answers if we are willing to surrender to Him in confidence and know He controls the outcome. It reminds me of the song, “I don’t know about tomorrow, I just live from day to day. I don’t borrow from its sunshine, For its skies may turn to gray. I don’t worry o’er the future, For I know what Jesus said, And today I’ll walk beside Him for He knows what is ahead. Many things about tomorrow I don’t seem to understand; But I know who holds tomorrow, And I know who holds my hand.”

Challenge for today: Know that whatever tomorrow holds, His presence goes before you and He is worthy of your trust.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

Dear Ones, Hope you are able to keep cool on these warm days. I walked on the trail yesterday with Al but the next days will be even warmer. I plan to clean the apt this morning and do food prep.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Sometimes I must remind myself to just be honest with the Lord, and not sugarcoat what is going on in my life but to be real with Him. Recently, I read about Psalms of Lament, that there are many Psalms that help us face what we are going through, speaking how we are feeling to the Lord. Since Jesus probably participated in the communal praying of the Psalms, He must have prayed and even sang the laments as well. We know He lamented when Lazarus died, when He was in Gethsemane, and when He died on the cross, crying “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46)

We also can lament, which is a prayer that we speak to the Lord about our pain and brokenness. We tell Him exactly how we feel and are struggling, and then shift from focus on our self to focus on the Lord. David is so honest and asks how long the Lord will forget him and hide His face. But after sharing his sorrow he says, “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.” (Psalm 13) I’m glad that we can express to the Lord our true feelings and be open with Him and tell Him our complaints, our disappointments, our hurts, even our doubts! But we must guard against complaining about God to others. Instead, we tell God everything, for He is our hope and the One who can help us. It doesn’t necessarily mean He will take away the situation we are in, but rather we see things in a different light and ask what we can learn. We don’t have to rush through this stage, as we need time to work through our grief. Some things we suffer may not change until glory, but we remember that He is loving, powerful and kind. After we tell Him what is on our hearts, it often leads us to remembrance of times past when He has rescued us and led us, and it may help us to move on to worship Him and praise Him.

Then it is important to give our situations to the Lord and to surrender it all into His most capable hands. Just as I am writing this, the sun broke through the many clouds and is shining right in my eyes. Isn’t that what the Lord works? As we worship Him, He shines His light into our darkness and we find joy even in the midst of what we are going through… for our joy is found in Him, not our circumstances.

Challenge for today: Be real with the Lord, give Him your complaints; then give everything confidently to Him and follow with praise and worship.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy