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.

Category: Sister Judy (Page 105 of 270)

July 13, 2022

July 13, 2022 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
   Hope you are enjoying this day! This morning I made bars and stroganoff and went to my exercise class. Al did a communion service next door at Assisted Living and tonight we have Bible Study at church.
 Devotions from Judy’s heart
   Sometimes it is just good to act on our gut feeling even though others may try to influence us another way. I found that out recently when Al and I were deciding to go for our walk on the Paul Bunyan trail. We usually go 2 1/2 miles but yesterday there was a problem since a storm was noted on the radar. Not a big one and it looked like it would touch just the edge of where we were going. I told Al I didn’t trust the radar as I could see the dark clouds forming close by. But my adventuresome hubby was going with or without me and so I went. We hardly got half way before we knew we were in trouble as it started thundering and rumbling and then the rain started. Soon it wasn’t just a little rain but a downpour and even hail. We were still a mile from home and by the time we got to our door, we were saturated to our skin and looked like soaked rats. The gals who were busy doing puzzles took one look at us and burst into laughter! We were quite a sight!
   This was such a small decision I made to go on this walk but it had no lasting consequences other than having to take a shower and washing our clothes; but often when we have a gut feeling we should not ignore it for it could be the Holy Spirit warning us. We may not see the long-term consequences but we need to heed the warning. I’m sure we all have regrets when we didn’t listen and things happened that could have been prevented and affected our future.
   The Lord wants to be our constant guide and we need to stop and seek His help and direction rather than doing our own thing. King David said in Psalm 32:8 (NLT), “The Lord says, ‘I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.’”
  There are often so many ways to go and decisions to make but we have Someone who wants to instruct and teach us and it is vital that we listen to Him and heed what He says. Let us take the first step in faith and obedience, and He will guide us the rest of the way.
   Challenge for today: Give up your own plan and listen and follow how the Holy Spirit would lead you.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

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July 12, 2022

July 12, 2022 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
  You are getting this early today and hope you wake to a glorious day! The question for today is: What do you see when you first look into the mirror? I hope you see a beloved child of God that is in the process of being transformed. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
  What do you see when you look in the mirror? Do you see beautiful bright eyes and soft skin and perfect physique? That is not what looks back at me in the mirror! I am soon going to have a big birthday next month and I notice wrinkles, and freckles and hair that is getting lighter (gray to be exact) around the edges. Clearly it is not the same image I saw in the mirror years ago when I was young and first in love, but the mirror doesn’t lie.  
  But there is a more important mirror. It says in scripture that God’s word is like a mirror and it shows us the truth of what we are really like inside. It’s not very pretty at all for we are all sinners and in need of a heart makeover. But it is not something we can do ourselves, but only to recognize our condition and ask forgiveness and for our Maker to do a major heart change. It is quite astounding to go from an ugly sight to being covered over by His grace and being made entirely new and beautiful. The more we agree with what we see in the mirror and ask for Him to cleanse us, the more we will become like Him.
  As we look into the mirror of His Word, wonderful transformation can take place.  Paul says in II Cor. 3: 18, “We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
  It makes me think of Cinderella who is dirty and dwells amongst the cinders and then being transformed into a princess. The change is so over the top, that sometimes we are not even recognized from what we use to be. Let us be conformed more and more to His image, that even our outward appearance changes and others begin to see Jesus in us.
   Challenge for today: Look into the mirror of His word and let Jesus change you from inside out. 
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

July 11, 2022

July 11, 2022 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you had a wonderful weekend. We enjoyed our time of fellowship with friends on Saturday and love that we do it each summer. This morning I did food prep and I made S.F. Choc chip cookies and went to my exercise class. It’s sunny out now but we may need to walk earlier today as a storm is suppose to go through later. 
Devotions from Judy’s heaart
  There are people in life that go the second mile and make a difference, and sometimes it’s the little things done that matter most. We can all probably remember an uplifting word someone gave us when we felt discouraged, or an act of kindness done when we were in a tight situation. Those things are not quickly forgotten for they were may have changed the course of our life at a strategic moment.
   As we gathered with our friends who were on the Board of our former retreat house, so much love flowed. Al and I remembered how each one of them was used of God to bring us encouragement during the time we ran Canaan’s Rest and continues even now. We went around the group and gave prayer needs and also ways we were desiring to share the Lord right where we are now. All the couples are being used in their churches as some teach, lead worship, decorate the sanctuary, help on sound system, and preach. They also give silent sermons as they reach out into the community with His love in tangible ways of helping.
   We all need to be open to how the Holy Spirit would want to use each of us to make a difference for His kingdom. Often it may be a small practical act of kindness that shows the recipient that God sees them where they are. My cousin recently went to Assisted Living and gave out birthday cupcakes, in memory of her mom who use to live there but has since died. She visited her mom’s friends that they would know that they aren’t forgotten.
   Even the smallest acts of love let others know that the Lord sees them and remembers them. As it says in Isaiah 49:15b-16 (God’s Word), “Although mothers may forget, I will not forget you. I have engraved you on the palms of my hands. Your walls are always in my presence.”
    Let us go the second mile and respond to the Holy Spirit’s prompting when He directs us in expressing God’s love in a specific way, be it ever so small. We have no idea what a difference it can make.
   Challenge for today: Listen closely and obey when the Spirit directs you to reach out to others.
Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy

July 9, 2022

July 9, 2022 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Happy Weekend! You are getting this early today as we are going to head to Mora for a time of fellowship with our friends of Canaan’s Rest.  It is a special time of blessing for us each summer to gather and share what the Lord is doing where we are all planted now.  
Devotions from Judy’s heart
  Don’t we all want to be people of strength that can stand no matter what is happening to us or around us? But strong people look different in the eyes of the Lord than how the world looks at strength. I was reading on Crosswalk.com what Joe Mc Keever, a preacher for 55 years and writer, had to say about strong people. He mentioned things that only strong people can do; let us ask ourselves how many of these we can apply to ourselves and also what things we might need to work on.
  Strong people humble themselves before the Lord and others. The way up is the way down in humility and God exalts those that are humble before Him and others.
 They serve and don’t look to be served. When something is needed, they step up to the plate and help meet the need. Perhaps they can be found serving at a soup kitchen or mentoring a teen.  
  Strong people admit when they are wrong and know how to say they are sorry. They don’t wait for the other person, but deal with their part in it.
  They also aren’t afraid to ask for help for we all have weak areas and need help from those who know more. Just like when I  ask our pharmacist daughter when I have any questions about a med, for she knows far more.
  Strong people aren’t afraid to brag on those who excel for it doesn’t diminish who they are. Or when others show kindness, they can admit indebtedness to them.
  Strong people can rejoice when others persecute them, for they know their reward is in heaven. (Matt. 5:11-12) You don’t find them complaining.
  They also endure suffering for they know that God is building character in them. They seem to grow even stronger in their suffering and can actually sing in tough circumstances like Paul and Silas in prison.
  Keever also mentions that strong people can serve the very ones that have criticized them and made their life miserable. That definitely takes strength and grace.
   As I read all of these qualities of strong people, there is no way we can have that kind of strength except through the power of the Holy Spirit. As it says in Eph 6:10, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.”
  Challenge for today: Admit where you are weak and ask the Holy Spirit for His strength.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

 

July 8, 2022

July 8, 2022 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Happy weekend! Hope you are enjoying this sunny day. This morning I cleaned the apartment and   made chili, and a dessert for tomorrow, and choc covered raspberries as I didn’t have even one left. This afternoon we have several errands to run before our walk. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
   Are there times you feel depleted and question if you have enough in your tank to complete what you need to accomplish? We probably have all been in that place and the enemy will capitalize on it and whisper that we don’t have what it takes. He will cause us to question if we can make it to the finish line. But the Lord will give us whatever it takes to accomplish what He has in store for us.
   I like what Kirk Routio had to say when he wondered how he could finish out the season at the ARC (Association Retreat Center in Wisconsin). He is the executive director of the retreat center and there is always much to do. But he said, “I woke up this morning; thus, He has already given me what I needed for today. I just have to be willing to move, and he will take care of the movements We are called to simply show up and once again, be willing to go wherever He tells us. It does not matter how full our tanks are. It just matters that there is enough for the day at hand. Go play, work, live and love remembering that life here is temporary and leave the outcome in His hands. My weakness is all part of His plan.”
   Let us not complain that we don’t have enough time or energy but only that we are obedient, for there is enough for what we are called to do. The Lord has the outcome planned and will fill us with all that we need for each day. It says in Eccl. 11:7 (The Message), “Oh, how sweet the light of day, and how wonderful to live in the sunshine! Even if you live a long time, don’t take a single day for granted. Take delight in each light-filled hour.”
   We have only one life to live so may we live it fully and well. Let us enter into each day with joy and anticipation for all that God has. We will have enough in out tank for what He calls us to do so let us do it with delight!
   Challenge for today: Thank the Lord that He has deposited within you all that you need for this day and go forth in joy.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy


  

July 7, 2022

July 7, 2022 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are having a sunny day! It’s Donut day here and I then I went to Aldi’s since I never made it yesterday. Al has a dermatology appointment and then we have Bible Study here. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
  Have you heard the old saying, “He’s too smart for his britches!?” When said it is usually a warning to the person to be respectful and that he needs to watch what he is saying. Most often he is wrapped up in himself and swelled with self-importance.
   We’ve all met people that may feel very important because of their prestigious job, or the number of degrees after their name etc.; but what do we have that is not because of the grace of God?
   I was reading from Proverbs 26 (Message) yesterday and I was struck by the verse 12; it says, “See that man who thinks he’s smart? You can expect more from a fool than from him.”
  How many think they are so smart that they put others down, or that rules don’t apply to them; maybe that they deserve more attention because of their intellect and gifting?  But that is not the Jesus way.
 Apostle Paul was smart for he was a Pharisee with credentials, being highly educated by a rabbi Gamaliel. He was confident, and steeped in all the rules found in scripture and persecuted others who didn’t agree with his way of thinking. But when he met the Lord on the Damascus Road and was blinded for 3 days, he was a changed man. He no longer bragged about all he knew but he said in I Cor. 15: 10 (NRSV), “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace towards me has not been in vain.” Paul now saw himself in a different light and felt unworthy and undeserving to even be called an apostle. He often spoke of himself as a servant of the Lord.
  No matter how educated we might be, or high our I.Q., or how many trophies we have, it is no cause to think highly of ourselves; but let us be humble as Jesus was and instead give thanks for His amazing grace to us.
  Challenge for today: Softly sing or say the words to “Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a retch like me. I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see.”
 Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

 

July 6, 2022

July 6, 2022 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are enjoying the day and also enjoying others. This morning I made a new chicken dish and went to my exercise class. Soon I am going to Aldi’s and tonight is Bible Study.  
Devotions from Judy’s heart
  What does it mean to honor all people? I read today from I Peter 2:17(ESV), “Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.” We can often praise others but it doesn’t necessarily mean we respect and honor them and it may even be insincere.  To honor others is much more for it is to treat them as we would like to be treated ourselves, and to accept the real person that they are.
  Perhaps we all have had times when we felt honored in some special way. We were recognized for who we are in our own uniqueness and appreciated. It is a good feeling and there is no pretense, we can just be ourselves.
   I am learning more from Michael Casey’s book on tools for good living. I had not thought much about the beautiful gift of honoring others and to be honored. He says to honor others is to value them, to welcome them into our life; it is to really listen to them and give them priority and respect.
   But those who have thought themselves slighted oftenget wounded and may do acts of violence. The mass shooter of many people may be someone who never felt he fit in, was belittled and not valued by others. Maybe that contentious person at work is one who feels excluded and therefore becomes demanding and hard to work with. If we feel good about who we are, it is easier to honor others and treat them well.
   In our churches and in our homes and communities everyone needs to feel respected and honored. We are not to rob others of their dignity so we will feel better about ourselves, but to appreciate how God has made each person and to respect their uniqueness.  Wouldn’t it be a dull world if we were all alike? I love bouquets of wild flowers and it is such a reminder to me of the variation of people and how each one adds something special and unique to the whole bouquet. Even the smallest flower adds color and beauty.
   Casey writes that if we treated others as we would like to be treated we wouldn’t have a culture of external markers of race, gender, age etc but see others as like ourselves.
  Let us be willing to change our thinking and practice the golden rule, giving honor to others and welcoming them with mutual respect.
  Challenge for today: Ask the Lord to help you see the value of others and appreciate their uniqueness.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

 

July 5, 2022

July 5, 2022 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you wake with a thankful heart! Also hope you had a great 4th of July! Today I plan to go downstairs for coffee and choc covered raspberries and then this afternoon we are invited to friends for coffee and fellowship. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
   How do we rate on a thankful scale of having a heart full of gratitude? Would we be at the high end or the low end depending on our present circumstances?
   I recently read in my devotions from I Thes.5:16-18 (Amplified), “Be happy (in your faith) and rejoice and be glad-hearted continually (always); Be unceasing in prayer (praying perseveringly); Thank (God) in everything (no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks), for this is the will of God for you (who are) in Christ Jesus (the Revealer and Mediator of that will).”
   It’s pretty clear that the Lord is not telling us to be thankful only when things are going super well but rather all the time. However, it doesn’t mean we are saying thank you for the hardship itself but we are to be thankful in everything. That can mean being thankful for His comfort and peace even in the circumstance as we know He is faithful and will carry us through.
   I was reading an article by Lynnette Kittle whose family went through a big financial crisis with medical bills over $50,000 and her husband’s job as Sr. Pastor ended. They had 4 daughters and in the midst of this challenging situation she and the girls made a Thankfulness Cake. They frosted it and put candles on it and expressed their thankfulness to the Lord that He was faithful. She said it made a lasting impression on the family and set the tone and outlook for them going through that crisis time.
   That is what God calls us to do, to live out thankfulness in everything. We can start out praising Him for the small things. I often praise the Lord for our water as I see videos of people in poor countries who have only muddy water to drink that other people often have bathed in etc. But when a well is dug and they have good water, it changes their lives.
   You may start with being thankful for your morning cup of coffee and then go on throughout the day becoming aware of many other blessings like forgiveness and healing, and pause to give thanks. 
   We can only thank God in all circumstances, if we have our trust placed in Him. May we live out a life of thankfulness each day!
   Challenge for today: Ask the Holy Spirit to help you be thankful in all things.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

July 4, 2022

July 4, 2022 / / 0 Comments
 Dear Ones,
Happy 4th of July! Hope you are enjoying the holiday though the weather is not ideal. Our family picnic was postponed yesterday because of the weather and doubtful there will be one today. It is raining and raining here we don’t know if we will go today either.Emoji
  Devotions from Judy’s heart
Happy Independence Day to you! We began celebrating yesterday at our worship service by pledging allegiance as we faced the American flag, then turned to the Christian flag and pledged allegiance, and then turned to the Bible as God’s word that it might be a lamp unto our feet and light unto our path. We sang America the Beautiful and My Country! Tis of Thee, and many of us wore red, white and blue.
   As wonderful as that all is, we also recognize how far we have strayed from God as a nation. I read online this morning what Clay Noah and others wrote about the importance of renewing our covenant with God as a nation and to be the Body of Christ throughout the world. They declared a fresh dependency on God and a renewed surrender to Robert Hunt’s 1607 covenant of prayer:
    “We do hereby dedicate this Land, and ourselves, to reach the People within these shores with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to raise up Godly generations after us, and with these generations take the Kingdom of God to all the earth. May this Covenant of Dedication remain to all generations, as long as this earth remains, and may this Land, along with England, be Evangelist to the World. May all who see this Cross, remember what we have done here, and may those who come here to inhabit join us in this Covenant and in this most noble work that the Holy Scriptures may be fulfilled.”
   We must always remember our first commitment as Christians is to the Lord as we are citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. I pray most every day for our nation to come back to God in repentance and to be a light in the world. As David prayed in Psalm 22:27-28 (ESV) “All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. For kingship belongs to the Lord and He rules over the nations.” May we all humbly turn to God who has the last word and gives true freedom and liberty!
   Challenge for today: Pray for our country to repent and turn back to God and to reflect His kingdom on earth.
Blessings on this day and prayers and love, Judy

 

July 2, 2022

July 2, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

Happy weekend! Hope you are enjoying this extended holiday weekend. We plan to go to the lake tomorrow afternoon for our annual 4th of July picnic with lots of relatives. That is a time for swimming and saunaing, tubing, picnicing and time to catch up. This morning I studied and made egg dishes and pork chops smoothered in apples slices. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart

Vacations are wonderful to get away from our usual work and to see friends and new vistas but we never never need a vacation from God. He should be our constant factor and  not someone we live for one day and the next day live for ourselves. He waits for us each day to come to Him and to listen and rest in His presence.

   Knowing God is far more than mouthing the right words and having the right information about Him; it’s desiring Him and having a deep personal relationship with Him. I think back of when Al and I were first married how we could hardly stand to be apart to go to work each day. But when I remember those days, I realize my love him is far deeper now as I know him so much better and there are always new things to discover about him.

   With the Lord, we will never never plumb the depths of Him or run out of the new things to learn about Him and experience. Each day is an opportunity to move forward and deepen our relationship and we are being changed as He transforms us to become more like Him

   Like Paul said in Phil 3:10 (Amplified), “(For my determined purpose is) that I may know Him (that I may  progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly), and that I may in the same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection (which it exerts over believers), and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed (in spirit into His likeness even) to His death, (in the hope).”

   Do we have a passion to know God, the One who is always with us and for us, even when we fail? Paul gave up everything to know the Lord and are we willing to give up time to spend in His presence, and to give up our reputations when the world disagrees with us?  Will we keep moving forward rather than taking a vacation and slipping backwards?

   May our desire for God not diminish, but increase that knowing Him will permeate everything we do!

   Challenge for today: Seek to know God in a new way…perhaps spend time sitting before Him in nature, or singing a song that comes expresses what is in your heart.

Blessings on your holiday weekend and prayers and love, Judy

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