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 134 of 270)

August 9, 2021

August 9, 2021 / / 0 Comments

 

Dear Ones,
Hope you had a lovely weekend! We are thankful for a little more rain. Tomorrow morning we leave for Upper Michigan to visit Al’s sister who lives on the 11th floor overlooking Lake Superior. We plan to take her out for steak on Tuesday to help us celebrate Al’s birthday. We also hope to walk around Presque Isle, go to Culvers etc. We will visit friends on our way home and hope to make it back late Wed. evening. Appreciate prayers for a safe journey. I won’t be writing until we are back home again as I am not taking my computer along. 
Just received word that my cousin Susie is very sick with Covid and in ICU. Please pray for her. She is a caregiver and now she is in need of much care and healing. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
This life on earth is not all there is, for we are here but for a short time. Why do we live so concerned about our life and body and accumulating wealth as if we were going to be here forever? Why are our hearts filled with anxious thoughts and forget that we have a Heavenly Father that cares for us until our last breath?
From our second story apartment I look out on the tops of trees and see the birds freely flying about and flitting from branch to branch. It is a constant reminder of what Jesus said on the mountain when He spoke to the crowd of people in Matt. 6:26 (ESV), “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” The birds have things to teach us as they are an example of living without cares; their abundant food comes from God’s hand and they freely fly about singing and giving praise.
We can also trust the Lord for all of our needs for we matter to Him. He cares for us not only in this life but for all eternity. Sometimes I just like to pause and spend some time thinking about eternity and getting my vision set higher.  I ask myself what is really important in the long run of what is taking place today?  All that happens to us here in our world is just preparation for what is ahead.
Al is soon going to hit the big 80 and we are in the 4th quarter of life, as well as, many where we live.
Perhaps it is easier to reflect on what is really important before our life is over, than someone in their second quarter who thinks they have all kinds of time; but of course, we never know.
Both Al and I are more grateful than ever for each day and appreciate and love each other more. Al has changed the most in this last quarter and I love observing the Holy Spirit’s work in his life. I also reap the benefits as he has become more sensitive than ever, to show love and meet my needs. We’re never too old to change and the Lord continually works in each of us until we are ushered to glory. Let us not waste time and stress on what will pass away.
Challenge for today: Ask the Lord what things you need to cut out of your life and which things you need to embrace. 
Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy

 

 

August 7, 2021

August 7, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are enjoying the weekend. We are getting a little much needed rain. PTL! This morning I made two batches of individual egg cups and put in the freezer for future company. I did some shopping and we are packing for Michigan. We will leave Monday morning and I since I am not taking my computer along, you will not get devotions on Tuesday and Wednesday. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Recently, I received an e-mail of someone seeking to hear God speak and know His will for a future decision. When we are in such a circumstance it is best to set aside time to pray and quiet ourselves and listen to the One who created us and wants to lead our lives, if we will let Him. But the enemy, however, wants to confuse us and to keep us from hearing and obeying; he comes to us in various ways as Jesus describes in John 10 about the Shepherd and the sheep. First is the stranger who tries to lure us from hearing and following His voice. That can mean anyone who leads us contrary to what God has for us and that might even be a person close to us  like a family member. Next comes the thief for he wants to steal and kill and destroy and to keep us from an abundant life in Christ. He may try every trick and does not really care for the sheep. Then there is the hireling and he should never be trusted. He will just take off and leave the sheep when times of distress come. Lastly there is the bad wolf who scatters and ravages the sheep for they matter nothing to him.
We have many enemies that want to destroy us and keep us from following the Lord and His will for our lives. But the best defense is to stay close to the Lord and not listen to the other voices of the stranger, thief, hireling, or wolf.
Jesus is worthy of our trust and obedience for He gave His life for us and wants to protect us and feed us and care for us. His will is best and He says in John 10:10 (The Message), “I came so they can have real and eternal life more and better life than they ever dreamed of.” When we follow His will, we will sense His pleasure and feel a sense of rightness and completeness. Being in the center of His will is the most secure place to be. We need to hide God’s word in our heart so we recognize if the voice we are hearing is our Good Shepherd.
Let us stick close to our Shepherd and not fear but follow in whatever way He leads us, for He is there with us until the end.
Challenge for today: Consider how the Lord has been leading you and ask Him to correct you if you are straying from His perfect will.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

 

August 6, 2021

August 6, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Happy weekend to you! Hope you have time to get refreshed! I cleaned the apartment this morning and also wrote letters and studied. Had another answer to prayer this morning and you will hear about it tomorrow.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
God loves us from the cradle to the grave, but even more than that from the time of our conception through all eternity. Nothing, absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love! I read the familiar passage today from Romans 6:38-39 (God’s Word), “I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love which Christ Jesus our Lord shows us. We can’t be separated by death or life, by angels or rulers, by anything in the present or anything in the future, by forces or powers in the world above or in the world below, or anything else in creation.”
Yesterday at our Bible Study here at the apartments, we recognized God’s powerful love in all phases of life. One person shared how one of the men in Teen Challenge came to see them with his new baby. God had set this young man free and now he was experiencing God’s love in the gift of his precious baby.
Another man came in late, again from his Doctor appointment and was told the good news that his colonoscopy showed he didn’t have cancer in his colon after all. There was clapping and much praising of the Lord as God’s love was expressed in healing.
Another woman showed up just as we were ready to close the Bible study and with tears in her eyes, said that her sister died just a few minutes before. Her sister knew the Lord and God in His love took her home to be with Him for all eternity. We prayed for our friend and for all the others who would miss her presence on earth. In that short hour of Bible Study, God’s love was evidenced in each circumstance of life. Let us never think that we can be lost to His love, not even in sickness, or persecution, or death. The Lord is with us to the end and we are secure in His love that knows no bounds.
Challenge for today: Thank the Lord for His love and live in the awareness that His love never runs out.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

August 5, 2021

August 5, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are enjoying the day. This morning I made porkchops smothered in apples, Starch free cookies. went to Aldi’s and also downstairs for donuts. Kurt and Brenda also stopped by on their way to the cabin. This afternoon we have Bible Study here and Al also went to one at church this morning. Life is not boring! 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Life should be simple, right? But sometimes it is anything but simple. We have an overabundance of stuff that clutters our minds, so many engagements we don’t have time for, and many distractions that keep the Lord on the periphery of our life rather than the center. Jesus referred to this problem when He said to His disciples in Matt 16:24-26, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever will save his life will lose it and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it.” We have to watch out for the self-life that wants to possess, profit and gain and in the end lose everything. But when we give up everything for Jesus’ sake, we don’t suffer loss but find abundant life.
Maybe we need to evaluate our lives to discover what our attachments are, those things that hold us back from the Lord. It could be people in our lives, or possessions we have (or want to have); anything we prize more than the Lord is an idle or attachment.  I was reading from A.W. Tozer who wrote Pursuit of God, and he used the example of Abraham who waited so long for a son. How easy it could have been for him to make Isaac an idle by putting him before the Lord. But he was tested by God when asked to sacrifice his son, and he obediently took the steps of even binding his son to an altar for a sacrifice. Then the Lord stopped him and told him not to do his son harm, for he knew now that he feared God above all, since he had not withheld his son. Abraham had surrendered all and he possessed nothing but had everything.
Maybe we have so much that it detracts us from our life with the Lord. Could it be that God wants us to live more simply? Do we spend too much time and resources on things that will pass away? A good place to start might simply be getting rid of our excess and things that keep us from what God wants to do through our lives.  What might be our prized possession? Let us give all that we are and have to the Lord and let Him do with us what He desires.
Challenge for today: Ask for grace to surrender anything in your life that keeps you from living simply for Him.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

 

August 4, 2021

August 4, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are enjoying the day. Al is happy as I made him choc covered Raspberries!This morning I went to my exercise class and this afternoon is crafts and tonight is Bible Study. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
“Be sure your sin will find you out” is a familiar verse found in Numbers 32:23 (ESV).  Sin is sin whether big sins or small sins and it affects not only us but others as well. Even if people around us don’t find out about what we have done, one day our sin will be exposed; sadly, in the mean time we must live with the guilt. But of course, God knows all, even though others do not, and He will not tolerate sin since He is a holy God.
There are consequences for sin as it says in Rom. 6:23 (ESV), “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.” Yes, God is loving but our sin nature is in conflict with the Spirit and we will reap what we sow. God often allows us to get caught in order to turn us from our sin and bring us back to Him, for He wants to forgive us and free us. He may use parents or others in authority to do this or the circumstance itself. I laughed the other day when a friend shared with us about what his mom did in a situation of his disobedience. She had asked him many times to clean his room and he did not obey and kept putting it off. Nothing she did or said seemed to motive him. So being rather clever, I think, she hired one of his classmates to come to their house and clean his room. You can imagine how humiliated he was when she had to pick up his dirty underwear, clothes, and messes. His mom paid the classmate and then when dad came home, he had a serious chat with our friend, telling him that money for the family was being used to pay a girl to clean his room. You can be sure it never happened again!
When our son was young, he used to wonder why other kids could do wrong and never seem to get caught, but whenever he did something, he was always found out. I told him it was because God loved him and wanted the best for his life. God will use whatever means to bring us into close fellowship with Him.
I thank the Lord many times that when I was young. I got caught when I was attempting to steal something from the store. My mom was in an adjacent store and didn’t find out about it, but I was so ashamed and never tempted to steal again. God forgave me!
God loves us so much and warns us about what our sin does to us and to others. He is ready to forgive and all we have to do is come to Him in repentance and confession of our sins. He never runs out of mercy and grace for He is love.
Challenge for today: Ask the Holy Spirit to show you any unconfessed sin in your life and bring it Him who forgives.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

August 3, 2021

August 3, 2021 / / 0 Comments

Devotions from Judy’s heart
Persistence in prayer is so important and brings lasting results. Too often we give up quickly and miss out on His answers because we don’t persevere in prayer. We can think of the story Jesus told of the widow who kept coming to the uncaring and unrighteous judge and asking for justice from her adversary but he paid no attention. The judge refused for some time but later said he would grant her justice so she wouldn’t wear him out by her continual asking. Jesus concluded by saying in Luke 18:7 (ESV), “and will not God give justice to His elect, who cry to Him day and night?” He looks for persistent faith and unlike the judge, He will listen to us and out of love reward us. 
It is likely we all have concerns that we have prayed over for a long time but given up when the answer didn’t come speedily. Maybe there is a loved one that has rejected the Lord and we pray but don’t see anything happening. But we are not to give up but to keep on praying.
 Today I read of Stormie Omartian who was abused by her mentally ill mother growing up; but experienced healing and found great power in prayer and taught many others on prayer. Her daughter had a mean classmate who she didn’t dare go near out of fear of her. When she told her mom, they decided to pray for this girl every day until school was out and all through the summer. The next school year surprise, a miracle happened and that girl changed completely and became one of her daughter’s best friends. Can we imagine what Stormie taught her daughter about praying and not giving up. 
In Isaiah 59 we are also warned that there are times our sins get between us and God so that He doesn’t hear until we are repentant and come clean with Him. He said in Isaiah 59:1-2 (Message), “Look! Listen! God’s arm is not amputated-He can still save. God’s ears are not stopped up—He can still save. There’s nothing wrong with God: the wrong is in you. Your wrongheaded lives caused the split between you and God. Your sins got between you so that He doesn’t hear.” 
Let us have right hearts before the Lord for then we can trust that He will hear us, He will answer in His own perfect time, and in the meantime let us not give up.
Challenge for today: Resolve to be patient and persistent in prayer and then thank the Lord whenever the answers come!
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

August 2, 2021

August 2, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you had a great weekend! The house is full of aromas as I used my giant zucchini and made a cake and lots of zucchini fries this morning before going to my exercise class. Our new neighbors (friends from former church) are moved in now and so nice to have them 2 doors away! Today is more overcast again as the smoke seems to be coming our way. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
 I enjoy watching football and keep asking Al when football season will start again. I love coming home from church on Sundays and having dinner and watching the Vikings. (at least most of time!)
Recently I read an article by Jonathan Evans, son of Pastor Tony Evans, who played NFL under Coach Parcells. He said that the first thing his coach did was to adjust their stance. It didn’t matter that Jonathan had played his position for over 8 years, for the coach still addressed his stance. He said what they were doing may have served them well in college, but they were at a new level now and their stance needed to reflect that.
 Jonathan compared it to our Christian walk and how we also may need to change our stance on many things like how we make our decisions, how we relate to our family and friends, how we serve, how we use our finances, etc. Since we are members of the Kingdom of God, we may also need to change our stance on how we spend our time in reading the Word and time in prayer. We have only to consider what is happening in our culture and the battles that we are facing now as never before, and it seems to put us in a new league. The spiritual warfare is different than what we have known and we need to take up new weapons and consider a new approach
 That means we must be willing to let go of anything that hinders us from God’s best. Rather than chasing our own greatness and storing up blessings only for ourselves, it is about His Kingdom and increasing our influence for the sake of blessing others. We must not get comfortable and stuck where we are at, but go after what God has for us. May we let Him direct us and be willing to change our stance and Go, Go, Go! We have God’s promise in Psalm 32:8 (ESV), “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go: I will counsel you with my eye upon you.”
 Challenge for today: By faith let go of the past and press on to what God has waiting for you. 
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

 

July 31, 2021

July 31, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are having a good weekend! I cleaned this morning and made bars and soon we are going to check on friends that are moving in today to the apartment two doors down! 
Devotions from Judy’s heart,
As I was asking the Lord what to write today, verse five from Psalm 40 stood out to me. David wrote, “You have done many miraculous things O Lord my God. You have made many wonderful plans for us. No one compares to you! I will tell others about your miracles, which are more than I can count.”David not only speaks to the Lord on his own behalf but also for the people of Israel who experienced so many miracles, especially as they were taken out of bondage and on to the Promised Land. They knew what it was like to drink from a rock, cross the Red Sea on dry land, and eat manna that appeared on the ground every day etc. David goes on to say he is in a hard place and asks the Lord to rescue him and deal with those who want his downfall. But interestingly, he first recalls God’s powerful ways and miracles He has done. It is good for us to do that as well, for it is faith building and helps us to trust Him in our present circumstances.
God is still doing miraculous things every day and I often hear of them when I get responses from you that receive my daily devotionals. One such one I received a few days ago was from a former missionary. I will use her words:
  “I was in Quito one time flying back to Bolivia and had misread my ticket. I thought it said 2:00 but instead it said 12:00 noon. I was standing at the ticket counter and some guy came along offering to wrap my box in plastic and said “There isn’t any more flights from this airline today.” I showed him my ticket and he noticed a very faint 1 in front of the 2! This was about 5 minutes to 12 so I was panicked but he took me back behind some doors and we found someone from that airline and I explained the problem. He told me that flight was delayed but I would have to hurry so he got me booked through and the guy (who had wrapped my box for me) was waiting for me and raced me to the security check and I got through. Once I was through, I happened to think that I still had some Ecuadorian money and since I wasn’t coming back (this was when I was just there for a few weeks helping out and going back to Bolivia) I turned back to find him to give it to him and no one was there. I asked the Security guys about him and they just gave me blank looks like as if “someone was with you?”  I have told friends about this and they said, “So no one else saw him? It was an Angel!”
She wrote that many other miracles happened to her, and most likely to all of us. I’m sure we have all experienced healings, unexplainable things that could only be God, heart changes in ourselves and loved ones etc.Let us not forget the goodness of the Lord and how He has shown His power and mercy to us.
Challenge for today: Thank God for the miracles in your life and share one of them with someone God brings into your life.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

July 30, 2021

July 30, 2021 / / 0 Comments
 

Dear Ones,
Happy weekend to you! Seems like the air is better today and not so smokey. Yea! I got some egg dishes made and am making chicken soup now. I began preparing for our July Birthday party and  Al and I went to Costco and got the cake. Soon we will go downstairs and celebrate! I have a funny booby prize for it too!
Devotions from Judy’s heart
At Bible study yesterday, were just finishing up sharing about Jesus with the woman at the well receiving living water, when one of the residents here at Northern Living came through the door and joined us. He had just come from the doctor and was holding the written report that he got from his doctor that was not good news. I helped him read the medical terms but the bottom line was he had cancer in two places, and one being the return of cancer in his bowel. His response was not hopelessness for he remarked that he was in God’s hands and ready to go; if God wanted to take him soon, that was alright for he was the Lord’s. At the close of class Al sat by him and we joined him in prayer for this friend’s healing in however God would do it.
When we know the Lord, we can rest that our lives are in His hands. I was mindful of this as I read from Psalm 39 today which David wrote. In verses 4-5 (God’s Word) he says, “Teach me, O Lord, about the end of my life. Teach me about the number of days I have left so that I may know how temporary my life is. Indeed, you have made the length of my days only a few inches. My life span is nothing compared to yours.”
Life is short so why do we spend so much time and energy on things that will pass away? Even if we amass a large fortune, we can’t take it with us and it is left behind to those who may squander it. Since we don’t know when our life is over, we also must guard against putting things off. We might ask ourselves today that if we knew we had only 6 months to live, how would live differently? Would we let others know in very tangible ways how much we love them? Would we share Jesus with those who don’t yet know Him?
David goes on to say in verse 7, “And now, Lord, what am I waiting for? My hope is in you.”
Like the song goes, “My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus Christ, my righteousness…when all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay.” He is our hope, our solid Rock, and anything else is sinking sand.
Challenge for today: Spend some time thinking of your preparation for eternity.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

July 29, 2021

July 29, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are having a good day! The air is very smokey today and we may need to wear masks as we walk today. This morning I went to Aldi’s and downstairs for Donut Day. This afternoon we have Bible Study and Ann and Leif may stop in for coffee too.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
God desires each of us to reach out and help others along the way. Sometime there is just a knowing in our hearts that we are to offer specific help to someone and God puts a desire within us to do just that. But there are also times others are used by the Lord to be His angels and give help to us. Al and I were talking about this yesterday as there have been people in our lives that have blessed us in great ways in our time of need. 
Al still calls Robert our archangel as he filled a big need when we were building Canaan’s Rest nearly 20 years ago. It was a place for Pastor’s and wives, missionaries and others to come and rest and share their burdens. We spent what money we had at that time for our first house to be built on the lake, as we had lived only in parsonages prior to this. We planned to settle into the upper level that was finished but didn’t know how we were going to manage to make the lower one into a place of retreat. That’s when Robert (a member of our previous church) said he would answer the call and come and finish off the lower level for us. It meant a long drive for him and many, many weekends and days off; he often brought John along (another member), and other times a whole group from the church came to help. Al and I used every day off and Robert would instruct us in helping to make it into a place where others could come to spend time in quiet with the Lord. We wondered what we would have done without him and our hearts will always be so grateful.
God sent us another angel after the big storm in 2016 that took down over 100 of our trees, as well as, the cabin. Al just happened to see a stranger with a Bobcat on the side of the road looking for firewood and asked him if he would like some of wood from our downed trees. He not only took many huge logs, he let Al use his John Deer tractor, which was an enormous help in the cleanup.
The third angel Al mentioned was Jon who organized 4 men from our church to help us move the big furniture items to our present place. One of the men he asked knew exactly how the U-Haul trailer should be loaded and all of them worked hard; by afternoon everything was in its place in our apt. How thankful we were that each one said, “yes” when God prompted them.
When we have needs, we can ask the Lord for help, and as Paul said in Phil. 4:19 (Amplified), “And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
Challenge for today: Tell God a need you may have and wait for Him to answer. He may even send an angel!
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy
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