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: March 2021 (Page 3 of 4)

March 11, 2021

March 11, 2021 / / 0 Comments
 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
True success is knowing God and doing His will. Even if we reach the top of the corporate ladder, become famous and well known in high circles, we fail when we don’t live our lives for the Lord. Jesus asks His disciples an important question 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?” Nothing is more important than knowing Him and serving Him but how do we come to know Him more intimately? Spending time in prayer is so important and we can share anything with the Lord. Sometimes we may feel like giving up when distractions come and we find our mind wandering all over. But distractions are normal for us all and we can even ask the Lord what they are telling us about ourselves. Then after we acknowledge them and discern their message, we can let them go. If it seems like God is far away, some find it helpful to picture the Lord sitting across from them and like our best friend, we begin to tell Him our thoughts and feelings and whatever is going on in our lives. Of course, we should be silent after and give Him room to speak to us as well, as we listen. It’s also important to read the Word as it is God’s love letter to us. We don’t have to read a lot at one sitting bur rather take a few verses at a time and ponder what God is saying to us personally in our relationship to Him. We can ask ourselves what seemed to touch us and how do we need to change? Spending time also praising Him is so good for our souls and we can sing and dance before Him. I use to put praise music on while I held one of our grandchildren; we just danced around the room as they rang little bells. As we grow in the Lord, we will take more seriously doing His will above our own. It’s not always easy to discern as we may not get a bright blinding light as the Apostle had with a message from God. But He speaks in many ways through the Holy Spirit. We may hear Him as we are out in nature, like watching the birds and remembering that he takes care of the birds of the air, He will take care of whatever our problems are. Or maybe Pastor preaches a word that is exactly what we have been pondering; or the same verse is given from several different people in our lives. We might journal and as we look back over the pages, it becomes obvious how God is leading us. Knowing the Lord is not boring or burdensome but exciting for He always has new surprises for us. I know you know all these things but sometimes we have to remind ourselves to keep seeking Him, to keep growing, and to be open to His will.
Challenge for today: Spend a few moments just quietly enjoying the Lord’s presence in silence and listen to His whispers.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

March 10, 2021

March 10, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are enjoying this day. This morning I cleaned our apartment and did food prep and went to my exercise class. Al had  Band of Brothers which meets early. We hope to go to Lenten service tonight but heard we may get up to 4″ of snow!Emoji
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Everything has a beginning and an end and most of our enthusiasm is at the beginning and then jubilation at the end. But what about the middle? That is where we need the greatest patience and endurance to keep on and to not give up. Maybe we can think of times we didn’t persevere and never got the degree we wanted, or were unwilling to do the hard work to save our marriage etc. It’s in that between time that we need strength and wisdom to see it through all the way. I have especially been mindful of this as my cousin Linnea and her daughter Erin and son-in-law Chris are walking across America from Delaware to California. This has been a dream and their enthusiasm has been building over years to do this. Finally, the day has come and they began carrying out this dream last week; perhaps you are following the Minnesota Crossers. But even though it is exciting now they are beginning the middle time in walking out their dream. They have experienced people’s kindness in giving them food and shelter at times but also have experienced sleeping in the cold and being hungry as they search for a place to eat. They never know what each day will bring. They have slept on boards at a shelter built for American Discovery Trail people, as well as, a nice hotel, extremes from freezing cold to basking in a hot tub. Their trip will be full of beautiful scenery, new friendships, surprise discoveries, and times of plenty and times of scarcity. But one thing is certain, they need to place their dependency on the Lord at all times. For now, they need lots of endurance and to keep their eye on the end goal. Even more importantly is the eternal goal of life with God forever and Gal. 6:9 (Amplified) says, “And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.” We are all in the between season of our lives right now and we need to hang on and not grow faint or give up. God is using whatever we go through to make us complete and give us character and hope. Let us all finish strong and weather our circumstances with grace and courage. As we say to the Minnesota Crosses and to ourselves, “Don’t give up, keep strong, walk with your eye on the goal, and one day you will reap a sure reward.”
Challenge for today: Think of a dream God has given you in the past, and ask Him to help you walk it out with courage and His strength
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

March 9, 2021

March 9, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope your day is filled with good things. Al left early this morning to go see our friend about our taxes and another friend for lunch. I did some studying, made G.F. muffins  and took rice krispie bars down for coffee time. My walk today will be alone with the Lord and all of nature since Al will be on the road.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
How often do we label people and put them in categories? I think we all do that at times but it isn’t fair to the person, for each one is a unique creation of God. There is no one quite like us anywhere through all of time and that seems totally amazing when you think of the billions and billions of people.  We are told to judge not and it is especially important not to label people on first impressions because it tells only a small portion of who they are. Each person is unique and irreplaceable. Why do we want to act and dress like someone else when it may not be who we really are? My sister-in-law is a seamstress and loves that fact that she can create clothes that are not like anyone else, but simply reflect who she really is. Wouldn’t it be great if teen agers did the same instead of having to have a certain style and brand of clothes? Living at Northern Lakes we meet new people all the time and our first impression is not necessarily the same as when we sit and have coffee with them and get to know them. We should not label others quickly but let it evolve who they are and appreciate their uniqueness. We have only to reflect on how wonderful it feels when others do that for us, and appreciate our unique qualities. One day when our grandson was here alone with us, we had time for a long conversation with him. He was seeking to know exactly what sort of job he is cut out for and we asked lots of questions for him to think about. His two brothers are very different from him and will not choose a similar field of interest. Isn’t it wonderful that God created us all so different? David said in Psalm 138:14 (The Word), “I will give thanks to you because I have been so amazingly and miraculously made. Our works are miraculous, and my soul is fully aware of this.” May each of us know in our hearts how marvelously we are made and also appreciate His creation in others without lumping them into categories and labeling them!
Challenge for today: Tell another person in your life at least one unique quality you see and appreciate in them.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy
 

March 8, 2021

March 8, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you had a wonderful weekend. We are enjoying this gorgeous weather and meeting lots of people on the Paul Bunyan trail. This morning  I made bars and shopped at Aldi’s and went to my Exercise class.  
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Is your home overflowing with fruit? I love fruit and make sure we have plenty of it each day as part of our meal and also keep some on the counter to nibble on if we have a hunger attack. But the fruit I am referring to in my question, is the fruit of the Spirit. I wonder if we would be able to say that our homes are overflowing with the fruit of the Spirit. The Apostle Paul said in Gal. 5:22-23 (ESV), “But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Does that sound like your home? I read an article by April Motl on Crosswalk and she writes about ways we can cultivate the fruit of the spirit in our family life. Wouldn’t we all like families that are fun, loving, and peaceful, and what can we do to cultivate that? But families are messy and we sin against one another and need the Holy Spirit to help us. April writes that we need to pray for personal awareness to know when we speak or act in opposition to the Lord. When we feel convicted of not acting in harmony with the Holy Spirit, we need to confess it to the Lord and also to own up to our crummy behavior to our family. Al and I do this as we walk and confess the ways we are not so loving and ask for forgiveness of God and each other.  April also recommends processing our emotions with scripture. Maybe we are very angry and we go to the Word and agree with God about our anger; after confession and repentance we can give it up and let go of it. We can also help each other remember who we are in the Lord and position our identity in Him. So much better than the world’s way of finding identity in our achievements and abilities and reputation which will always cause us to need reassurance.  We can also pray to experience God personally. Rather than trying harder to love, it is better to remove the stuff that hinders God in our lives and then let the Holy Spirit do His work through us. We will all run out of kindness and patience on our own, and we need a constant filling of His Spirit. Paul goes on to tell the church in Galatia to live by the spirit and to keep in step with the Spirit. Let us live Jesus in our homes so that beautiful fruit will be displayed and all glory  go to the Lord.
Challenge for today: The next time you offend someone in your family, be the first to make it right.
Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy

 

Being a “Watchman”

March 8, 2021 / / 0 Comments

I have been blogging now for over 12 years. I never imagined I would still be blogging in 2021.  A lot has changed in those years and in my own personal journey.  But in my retirement, I am grateful for having a blog site. It has given me an outlet for my spiritual motivation, which is to be that of a “truth teller.” I have spent many hours in the prophets, seeking discernment for our day. It has not been an easy journey, given my temperament and insecurities. Yet it seems I cannot escape the call.  My continuous prayer has been, “Lord, help me understand what you are saying to your church through the voice of the prophets.”

A special word for me has been Amos 3:8, “The lion has roared – who will fear? The Sovereign Lord has spoken – who can but prophesy?” I realize there are others much more qualified than me to share God’s word to his church through the prophets. Yet I sense I must respond to the call to be a watchman on the wall. “I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth” (Is. 62:6-7).

Little did I realize that ten years after I began “The Wildman Journey,” I would be led to embrace the role of a “watchman.” But my spiritual journey has formed this role in me. It is a hidden ministry that finds expression mainly in this blog. In the fourth quarter of my life, the “truth teller” role seems to give me a focus for ministry.

I have no idea how many readers out there in the blogosphere pay attention to my blog. But at this stage of blogging, I find myself simply thankful to the Lord for giving me this outlet as a ministry. I am just a 79-year-old Lutheran monk living with his wonderful bride (my nun) of 55 years in our monastic cell in a senior living complex in northern Minnesota – and my “soul mate” and others seem to confirm my calling.

I firmly believe God is raising up prophetic voices to address the contemporary church. As for myself, I sense a greater clarity in applying the Word of God found in the Old Testament prophets to our day. I humbly pray that I may speak the truth, so that others will see Jesus amid the confusion of our day. “For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Rev. 19:10).

As I pray and continue to read the prophets, I identify with the words of the prophet Jeremiah, “…His word is in my heart like a fire, and fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot” (Jer. 20:9).

I am the least likely follower of Jesus to take up the mantle of a “truth teller,” with a burden to give expression to the voice of the prophets and the state of the church in today’s culture. So how much I will write about the prophets is an open question for me. It will be a work in progress. I write today simply to inform you of my struggle with this call. But I have learned this principle over years of ministry: when a man leans into his calling before God, he will be fulfilled and energized spiritually. It will have its difficulties, but obedience has its own rewards.

March 6, 2021

March 6, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are enjoying the weekend. We love this beautiful weather for this time of the year and look forward to our walk in nature each day.  This morning I wrote letters and made Mexican pies and S.F. Choc chip cookies. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Who has the first word? God does! Who has the last word? God does!  Whatever God spoke it came into being. I love the Psalms and usually read one each day, along with other readings. Psalms is called the prayer book of the Bible and I was most interested what Pastor Eugene Peterson had to say to his congregation about the book of Psalms. He shared how God speaks and our part is to listen to Him, and then to pray, which means giving our attention to Him. That makes God in charge of prayer too, for He speaks first and then we listen. Peterson goes on to say how we are to learn to listen reverently by praying the Psalms and “we are most ourselves when we pray.” It should be our first language! I’m sure you have also noticed how many Psalms are written by David in the most varied and sometimes extreme circumstances. He didn’t just talk about God but to Him.  He didn’t pray surface prayers but used what was happening in his life to become prayer. Psalms are poetry which is not just telling us something new but draws us into the depth of reality and helps us recognize what we often overlook. The Psalmist teaches us how to respond to Him as we hear Him speak. Peterson said, “If we pray without first listening, we pray out of context.” We listen first and then pray. Our culture isn’t much for listening and waiting; but if we listen first to what God is speaking, we can learn much from David how to answer Him. It is not by hiding how we feel for David certainly expresses exactly what is going on inside. We are all familiar with Psalm 23, and can picture God as our Shepherd and one who is good and present. Peterson writes that in verses 1-4 we are pictured as His sheep and known for wandering off and not being so smart. Dumb in fact! The shepherd uses his rod and staff to protect us and lead us into safe places where we are given water and grass and a place to lie down. In verses 5-6 the sheep image is changed to that of a fugitive as God prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies. The desert was the home of a fugitive but he was always welcomed into the Shepherd’s tent as a guest and furnished with food and water. It was a safe place for him just as it is for us. And the last verse reminds us of what we can experience in our lifetime with Him, “Surely only goodness, mercy and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, and through this length of my days and the house of the Lord (and His presence) shall be my dwelling place.” (Amplified version) May our Good Shepherd guide us all through our life and through the valley of the shadow of death, until He speaks the last word and we will live for Him forever.
Challenge for today: Listen first to the Lord and then read Psalm 23 slowly and meditatively.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

March 3, 2021

March 5, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Happy weekend to you! Hope you have a weekend full of refreshment. This morning did some writing and a Bible Study, and made a roast dinner. This afternoon we are invited to friends for coffee and that brings sunshine to our day.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Joy takes courage! Perhaps we have all had times when we don’t embrace joy because of fear of what could or may happen. That way we feel it won’t hurt so much if disappointment comes. Since we have all had experiences of bad things in our lives where we even put the blame on God, we hesitate to believe in our heart that He is the source of good things too. Tish Warren, Anglican priest, lost two babies and it was hard for her to hope again that she could carry a baby full term. She said that “to risk joy requires hope and to hope is to ‘borrow grace’.” We don’t always know what the outcome will be but we can count on God to be present and to shield us. Love involves risk and life is full of risking again and again. But if we lose good gifts as circumstances change, we can still have joy; that is because we know the Giver who is our Joy. He is our source of every good gift. Tish goes on to say joy is not only a gift but a practice, similar to a muscle. When we exercise that joy muscle, we become stronger. Joy is choice we make each day when we decide if we will trust God’s unconditional love. That doesn’t mean we won’t encounter sorrow but we can know joy and sorrow simultaneously if our joy is centered in the Lord. We don’t need to fake joy in difficult times but we can decide to choose joy. That is possible because we know in the depth of our hearts that His love is deeper than our deepest need or whatever could happen. We can share with God our desires but then tell God He knows best and we want His will above all.  Joy also seems to be inseparable from the practice of gratitude. Henry Nouwen said. “There, gratitude is joy and joy is gratitude and everything becomes a surprising sign of God’s presence.” Let us choose joy for God is trustworthy and gives us blessings even if they come to us in strange wrappings. Joy recognizes that the deepest reality is God’s love. Romans 15:13 (ESV) is my prayer for you today, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope,”
Challenge for today: The next time you experienced disappointment or sorrow, exercise your joy muscle.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy
 
 
 

March 4, 2021

March 4, 2021 / / 0 Comments
 
My question for today is how can we better care for our soul? 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Our soul was meant for God and it craves security, satisfaction and significance, which cannot be found in ourselves, only in the Lord. And the truth is that when we willingly die to ourselves, it is then when our soul comes alive. How exactly does that manifest in our lives? I can guarantee it will help us see people in a different light; we will see them more as God sees them. We will wish them well and project good into their lives, not evil. We will think of them as part of us and want to bless them. Our souls are also not meant to be hurried but resting in the Lord and present to Him; it may mean often slowing down and making space for healing and restoration. It’s important that our will is undivided so our soul can be at rest and ready to say yes to the Lord. We are truly set free as we surrender to the Lord and embrace what He has for our lives. Even when things turn out different than we anticipated and we are disappointed, it is an opportunity to be like the wean child with his mother; we learn to find our satisfaction in the Lord and not in satisfying our own appetites. Jesus invites all of us who are thirsty to come to Him and let Him quench our thirst and in Psalm 55: 2b &3a (NIV) said, “Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the riches of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live.”  Our souls were meant for the Lord. They also thrive better when we are full of gratitude. It doesn’t come as a result of getting more things but from acknowledging His presence and His goodness to us. We don’t deserve any of the gifts He blesses us with, and we must guard against thinking we are entitled. When we are humble and know that all we have received is from Him, it is good to express thanks.  But how do we care for our souls in keeping them from weariness and fatigue? I remember how tired I was when my dad had a heart attack and I sat by his bedside. I didn’t do any work and yet my soul was weary out of concern for him. Ortberg, in his book, Soul Keeping, suggests doing what Jesus did in allowing God to replenish His spirit: He prayed and fed His mind with scripture; He had close friends such as the 12 who he shared life with; He worshiped in the synagogue; He enjoyed creation and took long walks; He welcomed children and blessed them and even partied etc. As Dallas Willard once said, “The reason our souls hunger so is that our life we could be living so far exceeds our strangest dreams.” Let us take time to tend our soul and live life humbly, gratefully, and deeply close to Him.
Challenge for today:  Live in gratitude and express it to God and others. 
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

March 3, 2021

March 3, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are enjoying this warmer day of sunshine. This morning I studied and made individual egg dishes and went to my exercise class. We plan to get a walk in this afternoon and go to a Lenten service tonight.  
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Why do we respond as we do? Is it coming from deep inside of us of how we really feel or do we often act out of hurts in our past that still need healing?  When I wrote the last devotional I sent out to you about the miracle and God’s timing of our birth, I realized for the first time in my life that maybe my birth was not planned by my parents. Really, I have never given that a thought before. My mom already had a one -year-old son and a two- year- old son; it is not likely that she wanted a another baby so soon, making it 3 little ones in 3 years. Now she never told me that, but in the back of my mind, all my life, I have not wanted to be an inconvenience. I don’t like to be upfront or have the attention on me. That is not the best material for a Pastor’s wife as we are often asked to speak and do public things. I remember resisting the suggestion by some at one of our church to stand at the door with Al each Sunday to greet people. I even had dreams of being pushed in the limelight which I objected to. I don’t even like being honored in the restaurant on my birthday with the workers all serenading me. As I write devotions to all of you, God also works on me, and that is as it should be.  I recently wrote that I want my outward life to be congruent with my inner life and that my actions would be consistent with my words. God did plan my birth at just the right time as I was close to my two older brothers growing up; later I finally got a sister and way later came another brother who was loved by all. God had it all planned from the beginning. There are things that have happened in all of our lives that need healing and as the Lord reveals them, we can get prayer and get set free from them. I was in a small intimate prayer group where we all received healing prayers and freed us up in areas of our lives; but there is always more and we need to be open to the Holy Spirit. It is a gift when He reveals and connects the dots for us. It says in Psalm 147:3 (Amplified), “He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds (curing their pains and their sorrows).”  We have only to ask the Lord to cleanse our wounds as we confess our part, and then He brings the healing; It is important to keep our eyes on Him and not keep dwelling on what happened or infection will develop. It is exciting and also painful at times as we go through the healing process, but the new freedom is worth it. As the Apostle Paul said in III John 1:2, may we enjoy good health and all go well with us, even as our soul is getting along well.
Challenge for today: Expose your wounds to the Lord and let Him cleanse and heal them. 
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

March 2, 2021

March 2, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are having a joy-filled day! This morning I did food prep and cleaned the apartment and took choc covered raspberries downstairs for our coffee time. Emoji This afternoon we are going to the store and then for our walk in this beautiful sunshine! 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Each of us is a miracle and have eternal value. No one else is quite like us and we were born at the right time in God’s time table. Every birth is an awesome mystery that God brings about. My nephew’s wife recently had their first baby and even though they anticipated the birth around the date of 40 weeks, it’s not like anyone could know the exact moment of little Gloria Rose’s birth; or who of us will know when she will smile or say her first word? None of these things we can take credit for anyway. I was reading some of Eugene Peterson’s sermons that he gave to his congregation over a 29- year span of being their pastor. He preached about the miracle of Isaac’s birth and how long his parents had to wait. (It is the first detailed birth story in the Bible.)  The promise of a son was given to Abraham and Sarah long after child bearing age. But Abraham had faith and believed God’s promise and God fulfilled it in giving them a son, Isaac whose name meant laughter. Their lives must have been radically changed but so full of joy after waiting so long; Sarah was 90 years old and Abraham was 100. My dad lived to be 100 and my mom almost 89 and I can’t imagine them bringing a baby into the world at that age. But we are all a person brought into being by God. Think about it! He knows our name and the exact moment we would be born for He created life. When I was a young RN, I worked the last months of my pregnancy in OB and with the newborns in the hospital nursery, so as to avoid heavy lifting of patients etc. Believe me, no baby is just an ordinary occurrence for the parents. As they watched me through the nursery window bath their baby, they beamed with pride of how beautiful their baby was. Perhaps when you held a newborn baby for the first time, you might have also been overcome with the awesomeness of the miracle. That little bundle comes with a personalized plan from the Lord and has all the necessary gifts to fulfill it. Each of us are also programed by the Lord and our part is to receive Him and His love, and seek to follow His individual plan for our lives. He says in Jer. 29:11 (God’s Word), “I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with hope.” God’s plan for us is the very best and let us participate in His specific plan for us, all the while growing in our love for Him,
Challenge for today: Ask the Lord if you are in the place He has programed for you at this time in your life.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy
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