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 2026 (Page 3 of 3)

February 7, 2026

February 7, 2026 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you have a great weekend. Today I am going to clean and do food prep and then we are going to a birthday party. My cousin is also stopping by on her way to the lake. We had a very cold and windy walk outside yesterday and hope today is warmer.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
How many of us have done something rather sacrificial, but our attitude wasn’t what it should be in the giving of it? We did the right thing, maybe something expected of us, but our heart was not in it. I rather think in the God’s eyes, it cancels out any reward for whatever we did, and the person receiving may also sense it was not a free gift from the heart. In Jer. 17:10, it says, “I, the Lord, search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”

How many of us have also been shmoozed and received gifts with strings attached? We may have thought the giver was making a sacrifice, but later realized there was an expectation connected with their gift. Our motives are important, and how we give or respond is important, for the Lord is very aware of the intentions of our hearts. In Prov. 16:2, it says, “All the person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord. I was recently convicted when I remembered times I have given to the Lord because I felt I needed to, not because I really wanted to. When I think back on times as an introverted pastor’s wife I went to speak to some group, I didn’t respond by thanking the Lord for the opportunity, but more like, “Lord, just get me through this!” I didn’t jump up and down to give children’s sermons either, but rather did it out of obedience at the time, and no one else volunteered to do it.  There is regret when I look back, but I also am thankful the Lord has forgiven me. I want to serve Him out of love for Him and for others.

When we do things out of selflessness, it brings glory to Him. Let us serve from genuine love.
Challenge for today: Dare to pray Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see of there be any grievous way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

February 6, 2026

February 6, 2026 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you have a wonderful weekend! I plan to do food prep and go through my closet to eliminate those
things I no longer wear. We have 2 funerals next week and both are now with the Lord.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
I believe families are under attack today and the enemy is trying to destroy marriages, our children, relationships, health, finances, etc. Many of you have probably felt the attacks and may be discouraged, but God wants to restore, bring order and rebuild families. I read what Nate Johnston from Colorado Springs wrote about our families being a target of the enemy. He gave a word from Neh. 4:14, when the people faced the enemy while rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah said: “Don’t be afraid of our enemies. Remember how great and awe-inspiring the Lord is. Fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.” We are not to throw up our hands and give up, but we are to fight for our families.

God wants to bring us back to have strong foundations, with homes and families built on Him so that we may stand in this evil day. He wants to restore what the enemy has been stealing from us! We have only to watch the news to see how the enemy has tried to steal our children and destroy marriages. God wants us to wake up and take back what was stolen and reclaim our families.

It’s so important that our families are built on the stable foundation of the Lord and His word. He wants to bring us to a spacious place, move us from a defensive position into an offensive one and take back what has been stolen. Instead of being the target and allowing evil things into our homes, we are to awaken and take back our ground, pray, and guard our homes. If we don’t, our home atmosphere will be one of tension, strife and confusion.  Let us not be passive, but repent where we have not put importance on our families but on other things first.
May we upgrade our prayer lives and persist in prayer and worship, praying together and becoming like a fortified wall. As Joshua said in Joshua 24:15, “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Challenge for today: Ask the Lord to work deeply in your family and repent of where you have allowed the enemy in.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

February 5, 2025

February 5, 2026 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you have a purpose filled day. Al will be off to men’s group this morning and I will have donuts waiting
when he gets home. This afternoon is Bible study and then we are going to do some errands afterwards.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Do we often go through motions outwardly without really thinking of what we are doing? It’s almost as if we are on autopilot, missing the meaning behind our actions and the purpose for which we are doing it. We may think of it like coasting along without having a destination in mind. Life can get tiresome and boring that way, but we don’t have to live like that.

A good question to ask ourselves from time to time is, “Why am I doing what I am doing?” I was recently convicted when my prayer partner and I were to write on “What is meaningful to you about communion?” When I proceeded to write about it, I was convicted as I realized there were times that I paid more attention that I was properly dressed to go up front than the wonderful meaning of partaking of the body and blood of Jesus.

We might also ask ourselves the question, am I where God wants me? Has He called me to the work I am doing right now, or has He been trying to move me on to what He has for me next and I am dragging my feet? God changes the times and seasons as it says in Daniels 2:21 and we may be holding on to the past season. We need to let go and flow into what He has for us next.

Perhaps we are like the children of Israel who wandered for forty years in the wilderness as they were on their way to the Promised Land. We know they often longed to go back to Egypt rather than where God was taking them to Canaan, the Land flowing with Milk and Honey, that would be their own. The Holy Spirit wants to lead us, so rather than go through just the motions in the present or even looking back, let us enter the new that He has for us.

Challenge for today: Are you where you feel the Lord would have you right now or are you just going through the same old motions?
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

February 4, 2026

February 4, 2026 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you have a good day and put God first in all your choices! I plan to make Rice Krispie bars, go to Exercise class, craft time, and Bible Study’
Devotions from Judy’s heart
How often do we choose our will over the Lord? I think we can all recall times when we had to make a choice but instead of choosing for God, we took an easier path and it did not work out as we hoped. There are times we don’t know initially which way God is leading, and it is good to wait until we sense the way He would have us go. What quickly comes to my mind is the times we had to make a choice if we would leave a church to answer a call to another one. We put much prayer into that and some days it felt like the Lord was leading us to leave and other times it was to stay put. But we waited until we felt a firm word and desired to go His way.

Sometimes what we choose is pivotal, for going our own may lead us away from God. At times we have to give up something that we have held dear, but only as we let go of the familiar can we step into the new the Lord has for us. It takes trust to lean into what the Lord has for us, especially if we have to give up relationships, our present career, our old friends, etc., but He is so worthy of our trust. We are warned not to be like Lot’s wife (Genesis 19), who looked back as she was told not to do and turned into a pillar of salt. When we follow the Lord, we are to leave everything behind and not be double-minded and look back. We are to desire Him above everything else and center our lives around Him.

There are times we are not sure of what to do and we need to keep looking to the Lord and listening for His way. I was reading today from II Chron. 20 when King Jehoshaphat was told a multitude was against him from beyond the sea. Although he was afraid, he sought the Lord and proclaimed a fast. He prayed, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” A Levite gave a word to him and the people, “Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s…Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.” The next day singers went out before the army singing praises, and the Lord set an ambush against the enemy and destroyed them. The army returned home with joy and more spoils than they could cart away. They had sought God first and followed His instructions and were blessed beyond measure. Let us also put the Lord first and follow His chosen path for our lives.

Challenge for today: Choose the Lord above all things and give Him your undivided heart.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

February 3, 2026

February 3, 2026 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope your day is filled with hope and joy. Al and I have an appointment morning and then I have Women’s Bible study. This afternoon we have friends coming over for dessert and fellowship.
Devotions from Judy’s heart

It seems today that everyone lives the way they want, with no attention to what is evil but whatever seems to trip their trigger for their own happiness. But the truth is that if God isn’t in it, it is not worth it and we shouldn’t want it either. The choice is ours of what we give our hearts to, and so many settle for sex, alcohol, food, status, and things that will never satisfy. Today we hear of many Christians walking away from God after years of serving Him, but there is only one way to God and to a full complete life. Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Jesus offers us hope, deep joy, and a full life with Him, not only now, but for all eternity. He also says He will give us strength and power through the Holy Spirit in our inner being. (Eph. 3:14-16) God’s presence lives deep within us, and we can enjoy Him in our inmost being. It’s pretty awesome when we think about enjoying the Lord who resides within us. If you are reading this and have not received the Lord yet, you can open your heart to Him. Confess your sin and need of Him and ask Him to come into your heart. He will make His home in you!

We don’t need to live shallow lives of being continually distracted. Neither do we need to be bowed over with the cares and pressures of our lives, but Jesus wants us to live in the depths of our being, where He exists. John Eldredge quotes Theophan who said, “One must descend with the mind into the heart, and there stand before the face of the Lord, ever-present, all-seeing, within you.” I read that quote years ago and now it is making more sense to me. I am gradually learning to sit quietly before the Lord without words and become aware of His presence within me. When we do this, we are giving God our attention and tuning in to Him and what He wants to do within us. We learn to no longer live for ourselves, but unto Him.

Challenge for today: Surrender control of your life to the Lord and discover Him in the depth of your being.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

Full Grown Man

February 2, 2026 / / 0 Comments

Christian artist, Josh Baldwin, has recorded a  song entitled, “Full grown man.”  The title and the song itself,  stuck me as a song that would relate to men.  I like Baldwin, not only for the content of his songs, but the manner in which he performs.  I have a sense that his masculine manner connects with many younger men.  

As a seasoned follower of Jesus, who embraced the Christian music during the “Jesus Movement,” I compare Baldwin to one of my favorites during those early days of revival, the voice of Don Francisco.  His music, the words and the manner in which I experienced Francisco’s ministry, spoke to my masculine soul, especially the song, “Adam, where are you?”  At that time I was still a young man learning to enter into manhood.  I knew very little about my masculine soul.

Baldwin’s style and lyrics speak to a lost and confused male audience, with the continuous refrain, “He was a full grown Man at a very young age.” “He was Son of God, Son of Man/ Who walked the earth to heal this land/ He lived and died, rose to save/ A full grown Man at a very young age.” “At thirty-three He gave His life away/ As a full grown Man at a very young age/ He died a full grown Man at a very young age.” The song ends with these liberating words for a young man to hear. “And on the cross He offered His life as the altar/ So I could live free.”   

I thought of Hebrews 5:8 -9, when thinking of Jesus as a full grown man. “Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and once made prefect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.”  Jesus became a full grown Man at a very young age.  He, “offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard  because of his reverent submission” (Heb. 7:7). 

Peter exhorts us to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.  “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps” ( I Peter 2:21).  I am grateful for Jesus being, “obedient – even death on a cross” (Phil 2:8).   His Father affirmed His only Son, at thirty years of age, when he began his ministry, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11).  

For men, Jesus is our our example.  We are to keep our eyes on Him.  He was full grown man, at a very young age.  I had my personal struggles during my 20’s and early 30’s.  There was a time at the age of 28, when  I wondered if I was a full grown man.  My experience in life seemed to be pointing me in a positive direction.  Yet there was a great deal more to learn about my own personal masculine soul.  Now at 84, I am finishing the journey.  I am humbly grateful to the Lord, for guiding me into the awareness that I am affirmed as a man, before my heavenly father. 

The more I read about Gen Z, the more I sense a deep burden to pray for them on the masculine journey.  When and how will they know they are “full grown men.”  Sports commentators often describe a football players, playing as full grown men.  The tragedy in America, finds young men searching emotionally and spiritually; wondering if they are “full grown men.”  We desperately need full grown men to be models for the younger generation of “lost boys.”    

 

 

February 2, 2026

February 2, 2026 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you had a great weekend. We got more snow but roads aren’t bad. I plan to make a dessert and go to Aldi’s and Exercise class this morning.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Time is important and valuable, so 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?!” Some things we know right off the bat that they are not worthy of our time, but sometimes we question things and ask 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 spending 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 or 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 week and prayers and love, Judy
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