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 129 of 270)

October 6, 2021

October 6, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are having a beautiful day and enjoying this lovely weather! This morning I made egg dishes and a veggie stir-fry and shopped at Aldi’s. Also, went to exercise class and soon there is crafts downstairs. Al had his men’s group this morning and tonight we have Bible Study so we are back into the swing of things.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Some years ago, Billy Graham was visiting an University, and he was looking out the window at all the hundreds of students scurrying to class. He asked the dean what the greatest problem was at this university? After a few moments to think about it, the dean answered, “Emptiness.” As I read this, I would also say it is the problem today as young people feel lonely and empty. It is evident in their countenances and behavior. It isn’t that they don’t have enough material things but rather they haven’t found what really matters in life. It is also true for anyone that has not received the Lord into their lives…life is lonely and without meaning. It is filled with things that don’t satisfy the deepest longing of the heart. Some really don’t know that the answer is Jesus and need to hear the Good News! We must be ready to share Him with others with every opportunity the Lord sends our way, always remembering what our life was like before we knew Jesus. 
David must have been alone much of his teen years for he tended sheep for his father. But he found the Lord was enough; God supplied all that he needed and he didn’t lack anything. The Good Shepherd fed, guided and shielded him and gave him rest. He didn’t have to fear for He experienced God with him and was restored and refreshed. Even when he was alone on the hillsides with his sheep, he experienced God’s presence and knew God was with him. He did not feel empty but said his cup brimmed full of blessings; he doesn’t need a thing.
We can experience fullness in life when Jesus is at the center, and the empty place is filled with Him. As David said in Psalm 16:11 (Amplified), “You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.”
Challenge for today: Spend some time with the One who satisfies your deepest longings and fills your cup to overflowing.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy
 
 

October 5, 2021

October 5, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you wake to anticipation of a beautiful day.  I hope to go down stairs this morning for coffee and choc covered raspberries and then we are invited to friends this afternoon. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Have you noticed how we often struggle with the same sins over and over again? We are sorry at the time but then do it again.  It’s important that we recognize our sins and name them, for then we can seek God’s help to change us and to become more like Him. Chara Donahue writes on Crossroads.com about habitual sins women may be struggling with but I suspect if you are a man and reading this, you might find it applies to you as well.
We all sin each time we think we know better than God and proceed to go our way instead of His. But the truth is that God’s ways are higher than our ways and we need to pay attention to how He directs us. It says in Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV), “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Maybe our sin is the struggle with delayed obedience and telling God we will do what He asks later, but not now. We hate to get interrupted and end up tabling what God says, telling Him we will do it another time; but He may have to use someone else to meet the need.
Perhaps we are also guilty of tolerating “smaller sins” and call them by other names like weaknesses and mistakes; but we need to hate all sin, even the things our society celebrates. We may struggle with fear of man and get into people pleasing, but we should seek first to please God and to reverence Him. Another sin Chara names is planning without consulting God. We need the Lord to guide us and slow us down to listen to His plan, rather than to depend on our own human wisdom. And there is the sin of gluttony but not just of food; it can be an excess of anything like shopping, watching T.V., exercising, or anything that is overdone and robs us of time with the Lord. There is also the sin of pride that trips us up. We want to get the glory for something we excel in and fail to acknowledge that our gift and power to succeed is from the Lord. Then there is the sin of grumbling and complaining. It isn’t always obvious, but maybe we ask for prayer and then go into long explanations of the situation and complain. Sometimes our sin may be envy when we realize we are lacking in something that someone else has. Or we can be discontented as we see that others seem to have more than we have and we want what they have. But like Paul, we can be content in whatever situation the Lord has us in. Let us not keep struggling with the same sins but let us ask the Lord to change our hearts.
Challenge for today: Confess your sins to God and to seek His higher ways.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

October 4, 2021

October 4, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you had a wonderful weekend! Today is another beautiful fall day. We were so awed by the colors at the lake yesterday…gorgeous! This morning I made spaghetti pies and went to my exercise class. Grandson Joe got home yesterday from the Marines due to covid and will be going back in January. Thank you for prayers. 
 Devotions from Judy’s heart
It’s so important that we keep in step with the Lord and are on His time table. Sadly, we can jump ahead of Him, and it only makes for stress in our lives and things not working out well. We forget that when we give the Lord our situations He is at work in unseen ways, and we can just trust that in duetime things will work out according to His perfect plan.
I was restless Saturday night as I knew we were going to our former church yesterday since Al was preaching. I continue to pray for several friends in my former Bible Study group and wanted to have time to catch up on their prayer requests etc. I also wanted to see a friend in Assisted Living and another former neighbor and friend who would soon leaving for the winter; that was besides going to our daughter’s for dinner and wanting time with our grandson before he left for the cities. I didn’t sleep so well as I couldn’t figure out how I could fit that all in, but I just knelt by our bed and prayed.
Much to my surprise, we got to Hackensack early enough for me to see my friend in Assisted living and to pray for her. Then when we got to church, I was able to talk to several friends alone who shared some concerns and helped me to know better how to pray. One had even baked my favorite cake and put it in our car, with enough cake to share with our daughter’s family and my friend whose birthday is tomorrow. After we ate dinner, my grandson wanted to go for a walk and it was a time he could share what was happening in his life while walking to see my friend on the next lake. On the way there, we were surprised to see a good friend on the road; when it was time to leave there, my brother and nephew also just happened to see us on the road and stopped their car to visit. I had no idea they were at the lake. As Al and I journeyed home later, I shared with Al what a rich day it had been and God arranged it all. My heart was filled with gratitude and I knew He was working all the while in the unseen.
Today I read from Psalm 77:19 (ESV) when the Israelites were fleeing and trapped between the Egyptians and the Sea, but God provided for them. It says “Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters; your footprints were not seen.” We may not know how God is going to work in answer our prayers, and we may not immediately see His footprints, but we can rest assured He is at work. We don’t have to jump ahead as He has got it!
Challenge for today: Commit each day to the Lord and wait for His leading in your life.
Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy

October 2, 2021

October 2, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are enjoying the weekend. More rain today but keeps the grass keeps getting greener. This morning I cleaned the apt and wrote letters and studied. Tomorrow we will be going to church in Hackensack as Al is preaching there. We are going to Ann’s afterwards for dinner and I have a wild blueberry crisp made for us to sample. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Prayer is so important and when we neglect prayer, we can find ourselves lacking peace and feeling distant from God. Then when some difficult circumstance happens to get our attention, we quickly cry out to Him. But why not enjoy the love and peace of being joined with the Lord throughout our day and attentive to His voice of love?
While at our son’s house, I had time in the morning after the grandkids went to school, to just sit quietly looking out on the woods and being with the Lord. It was just good to be in His presence and words weren’t even necessary…just prayer without words.
Sometimes we may barge into the day on a dead run without thought for the Lord. It isn’t long before we are exhausted and feel sorry that we have caused others frustration and also ourselves. Maybe we have overslept and have children to get ready for school but we can still send dart prayers to ask for God’s help.
J.C Rift wrote a little book, A Call to Prayer and challenges all of us to form a habit of daily prayer.
He said that prayer is the mark of a true Christian. When you think of it, how can we call ourselves a follower of the Lord and just not spend time with Him? When we pray, we are in faith committing everything into His hands
The habit of prayer brings us encouragement as well, for we see God at work and in action all around us.
Prayer helps us align ourselves with what God desires for our lives. We seek His will and know that He is the One directing our life.
When we don’t pray, we may become stagnant and backslide and soon we feel distant from Him.
The habit of prayer brings peace, no matter what things are happening in our lives. We may have a big project at work and even though we may not know how we will get it done, committing it into God’s hands helps us quiet our fears and gives us a clearer mind.
I am reminded of what Paul said in Eph. 4:6-7 (ESV), “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let our requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard our hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Let us form the habit of prayer and live in His peace!
Challenge for today: Spend the first waking moments giving your day to the Lord and share with Him throughout your day.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

 

October 1, 2021

October 1, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Happy weekend to you! We started the day with rain and everything is so fresh again. This morning I did food prep and made choc covered raspberries, and blueberry crisp, and got out our Fall decorations. Al joined other men here at Northern Lakes in Fantasy Football and is no#1 right now!!Emoji Of course it may not last. Emoji
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Loneliness is on the rise in our culture and there are many that say they have no close friends. Zero! Without close ties with others, it has an effect on our physical and emotional health and leads to feelings of isolation and depression. We have need to be connected with others like family, those we work with, others in our community and church etc. Since many are working remotely now due to COVID 19, so many are left feeling even more lonely.
Some say they are connected because of social media and refer to others as close friends; and yet if you question them farther, you find out they have never met the so-called friends, or had a face-to-face conversation with them.  They may share same views, play games online, be of the same political party etc. but that is mostly just mental togetherness. Such relationships seem to exist only in the imagination rather than in reality.  There are others that are bound together by a common hatred of other groups or movements and they feel joined by things or people they detest. That is not friendship!
Friendship is when we can hug one another, share memories, play games and sports together, worship together and tell one another our stories. 
Jesus was God and He was also human like us and had friendships; he had 12 who he invested his life into and 3 who were his closest companions. One speaker said that if we had one hand full of good friends, five, we would be very rich. They are ones that are honest with us and love us for who we really are. They give more than they take and forgive us when we fail. They believe in us and take time for us and let us know we are important in their lives. Such friends are beautiful gifts from above.
Of course, friendship with God is the most important one of all. Such friendship is deep and dependent on our trust in Him. Do we believe in Him enough to confide in Him and follow His will for our lives? We have Jesus words in John 15:12-13, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Jesus gave His all for us and what more could He give to let us know He loves us and wants to be the friend that sticks closer than a brother. We are never truly alone when we trust in Him.
Challenge for today: Spend time enjoying your friendship with the Lord and then do something special for a friend He has given you.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

September 30, 2021

September 30, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are having a good day. We are home now and so beautiful out my window with the colors. This morning I got downstairs for donuts and made stew and cookies and bars and blueberry bread and Ann came for an early lunch. Shortly we will be having Bible Study so we are back into our routines again. Thankful to be home again after all the miles on the road.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
What would happen in our world if we demonstrated God’s love and took seriously His command to love others as ourselves? Would the world be changed?
Recently I read an article by writer Melissa Nordell, founder of Strategic Prayer Command Ministries, who shared about the Jesus People Movement that began in Orange County in 1965. It was a dire time during the Vietnam war with riots, anti-war demonstrations and protests. But it was also a time when millions were saved all across America and the world, and huge changes came to churches as barriers were broken down. Hippies in their flowered shirts and bare feet sat next to those in suits and fine gold as they worshiped together. Music also changed, and instead of organs and hymns there was contemporary music with guitars, drums, and keyboards. It all began in CA when Kay Smith and Pastor Chuck Smith started demonstrating love for the hippies. They were welcomed into the life of their church and agape love was spread and lives changed.
We remember those days as Al had completed seminary and we went to our first church in Edina in 1970-1973. Al had no prior experience working with youth, but it began as we met with 3 of the teen girls in the basement and prayed that God would work in hearts.  Our parsonage walkout basement came to be known as Pitstop and we had gatherings each week for the Jr High, High School and college kids. What happened was only the work of the Holy Spirit as young people came to the Lord, got off drugs, and began witnessing to their friends. There were times we had 100 kids in our basement all singing worship songs, and wanting to know more about the Lord. It was truly a sovereign work of God.
But just think of how the Jesus Movement began with just two willing Christians who opened their church to welcome all people with God’s love. His love makes all the difference! The Apostle John wrote in I John 4:7-8 (God’s Word), “Dear friends, we must love each other because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born from God and knows God. The person who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, because God is love.” We can’t know God if we don’t love!  God’s love is unconditional and the choice is ours to love and show it with our actions. Let us take God’s command to heart and then watch as His love changes everything.
Challenge for today: Ask God to show you, where selfishness gets in the way of sharing His love, and repent. 
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

September 29, 2021

September 29, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you face this day with anticipation. We spent the night in Albert Lea, and had a relaxing evening with a swim and walk and today we hope to get home….with a stop at Barnes and Noble on our way. Emoji We have enjoyed our time away and it’s always good to get home again too.
Good news Marlene had a false positive so does not have covid. Our grandson, Joe, has covid along with 1/3 of his class of  Marines. He is not real sick but feels like the flu. If he isn’t well in 10 days he will have to go home and start again in January. Please pray! 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
How well do we listen? The Lord is always speaking but are we listening? He doesn’t speak in a foreign language that we can’t understand but in a voice of grace and mercy. We need to stop and quietly listen, so our hearts can discern what He is saying to us. He told us that He is our Shepherd and that as His sheep we can hear His voice. In John 10:4 (Amplified) it says, “He walks on before them, and the sheep follow Him because they know His voice.” Sometimes His voice seems barely above a whisper so we have to really dial down and listen. 
I am reading a book by Richard Foster called Sanctuary of the Soul; he shares how we are a dwelling place for God as it says in Eph.2 22 (ESV), “In Him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” He shares about Teresa of Avila who prayed, “O my Lord, since it seems You have determined to save me…. Don’t you think it would be good …if the inn where you have to dwell continually would not get so dirty?” I identify with her and know my heart needs constant cleansing. It’s not unlike our homes that after we clean, we soon find that there is more dust and dirt to clean up.  
But even in our own transformation process we are totally dependent on the Lord as only He clean up our messes and change our heart. We cannot! When we seek to be quiet and really listen to what He has to say, we need to let go of distractions and release them and surrender to the Lord; that includes all of our worries and cares. What follows is usually a time of confession of all those things that come to light. We let go of our ways and accept whatever the Lord wants for us. Then as we read scripture it is to experience the Lord, not to learn facts but to be attentive to what He has so say. Our spirit is alert and listening and we seek to discern what He is saying to us, which will always be consistent with the Word. Do we always get it right? Probably not but may we have a teachable spirit so we get better at hearing and responding.
Challenge for today: Spend some quiet moments not talking but just listening to the Lord. 
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

September 28, 2021

September 28, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope your day is full of sunshine. We left yesterday morning after a  wonderful time with our son’s family. We made it as far as Brownsberg, Indiana last night, after going 600 miles. Always so thankful to get to our motel after a day of heavy traffic and then we went for a long walk. Our thank you again for prayers. Lily is back to school now and needs no pain medication. PTL! Marlene got Covid while in the hospital recovering from her hip surgery even though vaccinated. Appreciate prayers.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
We have only one life to live and let us live it for the Lord! Only what is done for Him is lasting.
I was reading this morning a prayer of King David after God saved him from his enemies and from Saul. He was so grateful for how God had protected him and rescued him and given him victory. His heart was full of praise and he says in II Sam. 22:21-25 (The Message), “God made my life complete when I placed all the pieces before Him. When I cleaned up my act, He gave me a fresh start. Indeed, I’ve kept alert to God’s ways; I haven’t taken God for granted. Every day I review the ways He works, I try not to miss a trick. I feel put back together, and I’m watching my step. God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to His eyes.” 
Isn’t that true for all of us that when we give Him all the pieces of our lives? He cleans us up and puts us back together, giving us a fresh start, a clean slate. We don’t ever want to take that for granted but thank Him and like David, review His goodness to us every day. Before we shut our eyes at night, we can think over our day and remember the ways He has been there for us, maybe rescued us from tight situations, provided us with a necessity, or given us the right words to respond to someone. David goes on to say that God’s way is perfect and He is a shield, a rock and refuge, the one who gives Him strength. He even expresses that his feet are like a deer that has firm footing on high places.  He sings this song of thanksgiving to the Lord. 
What about us? Maybe we need to check our own hearts to see if we take the Lord for granted. Instead of praise we find ourselves complaining. Of course, we can’t always understand at the time what the Lord is doing in our lives; but David says that there are other times God’s light suddenly floods his path and the darkness is gone and he sees clearly. There are many things that happen to us in life, and we may wonder His purpose in it; but we can live in praise and trust for He will make a way for us and give us peace and a solid place to stand.
Challenge for today: Ask the Lord to be with you through your day and then praise Him tonight as you see His hand at work in your life.
Blessing on your day and prayers and love, Judy

 

September 27, 2021

September 27, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you had an enjoyable weekend. We have had a great time at Mark’s, enjoying family time together. We  played many games with our grandsons and loved having a campfire down by the stream, watching a good movie, eating lots of good food etc. Today we went to their church and heard a great sermon and then out to an Asian restaurant to eat. Tomorrow we start our trip homeward and plan to take our time. We appreciate prayers again for our safety.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
We are in uncertain times and need to be deeply rooted in the Lord to be able to stand firm in the days ahead. But that is not a cause to fear but rather to keep our eyes on the Lord and walk closely with Him. When the winds of adversity come, our roots need to be buried deep so we don’t get overcome and fall. 
When we were at Mark’s house in N.C., we were in ah of all the beautiful trees on their property that they just acquired. They had a landscaper come out to help them with their 5 acres of woods, and he gave them the good news that they have a couple trees on their land that are extremely old, like over 400 years old. He said that any time they wanted to sell the wood they would get a very good price as the wood is very valuable. Think of the root system those trees must have to have withstood all the elements for all these years and are still vibrant with green leaves.
There are more than 36 trees mentioned in the Bible and they were used for various purposes. We read of familiar ones like oak trees or olive trees, or the mention of the acacia tree of which the Ark was made from. God also used the sound in the top of the Balsam trees to let David know it was time that he was to attack the Philistines. We read the description from Psalm 1 of the blessed person who finds his delight in the Lord and it says in verse 3, “He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”
What about us? Do we want to be like those trees along the stream that remain strong even into our old age? If so, we must let our roots go deep into the Lord and spend time in His word and get our daily instruction from Him. We can also memorize His Word and hide it in our hearts so it is available to us even in the stormy times. It is the Holy Spirit that helps us recall just the right verse to fit a need we may have at the exact moment. If we store up spiritual food in the good times we can go through the dry times, without drying up and withering.
Challenge for today: Spend time drinking deeply of the Word.
Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy

 

September 25, 2021

September 25, 2021 / / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

Hope you are enjoying the weekend. We are having such fun here in N.C and playing games with the grandkids is helping us feel young! (or maybe old!) We played lots of outdoor games yesterday and this morning have some indoor ones as well. They have a stream flowing through their land so we plan to spend some time helping in the clean up near the water. So  beautiful here.  Please pray for our friend Marlene who fell and broke her hip and will be having surgery at 10:30 this morning.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

I love the word GRACE and everything about it! It is so wonderful to know that we are loved by God, not because we do everything right, but because of who He is. Grace is receiving what we don’t deserve. It is a gift as it says in Eph. 2:8 (ESV), “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing: it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

It brings a song to mind that was written by Julia Johnson in 1910 and put to music by Daniel Towner. It begins with:“Marvelous grace of our loving Lord/ Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt, /Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured/There where the blood of the Lamb was spilt/ Grace, grace, God’s grace/Grace that will pardon and cleanse within/Grace, grace, God’s grace/Grace that is greater than all our sin.” It doesn’t matter what we have done in our past, God will forgive us if we humbly ask. I’m sure we all can think of many things that we wish we had never done; but no matter what they are, it will never exceed God’s grace to us! Just think of how great that is!

Years ago, I read Philip Yancey’s book, What’s so amazing About Grace? Yancy was interviewed recently and he said that the message of grace is so important right now as we are so divided in our country. But even though we may disagree with others on issues we can still show love and be dispensers of grace, remembering that we have received grace. It is possible to hold our values without compromise, while not condoning others with contrary beliefs, yet do it in a grace-filled way. Listening to others can help us see where they are coming from and expand our outlook on things, rather than just trying to win an argument. We must especially practice grace within our families and continually ask ourselves what do we need to forgive.Yancey describes a picture of God’s grace like that of a mountain stream that begins on a high mountain peak. But the stream always flows to the lowest part and touches the poor, the disabled, the prodigals and all of us that are undeserving.Let us always be amazed by His grace and then let it flow out from us to others.

Challenge for today: Share His grace with all who touch your life.

Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

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