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 149 of 271)

February 11, 2021

February 11, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Perhaps we have all had times in our lives when we had no words to pray. Maybe we were going through a time of grief and so overwhelmed that words escaped us. I read Tish Harrison-Warren’s book, Prayer in the Night and she shares how the written prayers of the church can be a comfort at such times. She is an Anglican priest and experienced the darkness of night in the grief of her father’s death followed by her miscarriage of a son. When she was bleeding profusely and fighting for her life in the ER, she couldn’t find words to pray. She told her husband that she wanted to pray Compline, which is an ancient nighttime prayer service of the church. “Keep us as the apple of your eye. Hide us under the shadow of your wing. Lord have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord have mercy. Defend us, Lord, from the perils and dangers of this night.” It helped her to hang on to the reality of God’s goodness and love even in the midst of her sorrow and dark night of her soul. Compline contains confession, the reading of Psalms and other scriptures, written prayers, and a time for silence and free form prayers. God can use so many ways to help us when we are unable to even put our thoughts and emotions into words. At such times when I have needed faith for something big, I have even quoted the catechism that I memorized when young. “I believe I cannot by my own understanding or effort believe in Jesus Christ my Lord, or come to Him. But the Holy Spirit has called me through the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, and sanctified and kept me in true faith.” Other times a song might come to our minds or a familiar hymn; or we might pray the Lord’s prayer with special emphasis on an area of our present need. When we are lonely and need strength and don’t know how to put it in words, sometimes the written prayers of others can just be what we need.  But even when we don’t have words at all, the Lord knows our thoughts and draws us close to Him. Sometimes we might just want to sit in His presence out in nature and ask Him to just read our hearts and give us what we need. As I read this morning from Psalm 139:1-3 (ESV) David prayed, “O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.”
Challenge for today: Read Psalm 139 prayerfully
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

February 10, 2021

February 10, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are having a peaceful day. This morning I made a G.F. birthday cake with one layer chocolate and the other white (with 7 eggs) and now I am making choc covered raspberries. Emoji Al had his Men’s Soul Care group and I went to my exercise class. I suspect we will walk inside today as it is cold! Please pray for our friend, Gen, who was diagnosed with stage 4 Abdominal Cancer and is in pain. Also include her husband and teenage son and daughter. Thank you!  
Devotions from Judy’s heart
What do we want to leave behind for our kids and grandkids to remember? What is most important? They may desire to get some tangible things when we die, but more important is the example of a life lived for God.  When my parents died, a couple items I received was a tea cart that use to be a resting place for my mom’s many violets and a corner knick-knack shelf that held some pretty vases and dishes. As I dusted them so many times, I was continually reminded of my mom and dad and the lives they lived. It was their example of faith and helping and giving to others that has stuck with me.  It’s good to ask ourselves what will we leave behind that will inspire others in their walk with the Lord? It’s not so much what we teach but what we live that remains with them. I saw the joy in my parents when they gave money to missionaries or gave a Bible Study to those incarcerated at the Work house etc. I ask myself how giving I am?  How loving am I? Recently I read of Pastor Jeremiah’s church that during COVID has been serving 50,000 pounds of food each week to the needy; those 60 or so members that are giving out the food are full of joy for they are practicing what Jesus said in I John 5:7& 12 (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…If we love each other, God lives in us, and His love is perfected in us.” A life of love will constantly be giving out to others, in response to what God has given. Love isn’t just a feeling but it is an action, a choice we make. An expression of His love is giving and serving others for it is a natural outflow of all that we contain within.  As we live a life of love, we will also then leave behind a path for our loved ones to follow and to remember.
Challenge for today: Ask the Lord to help you live and overflow in His love by serving others.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy
 

February 9, 2021

February 9, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are having a good day and staying warm. Burr! We woke up to -11 below. I still went to Aldi’s and then downstairs for coffee and muffins. Just a  minute ago I got a message that one of my friends from my former Bible Study died last night and now she is with the Lord! 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Death is an absolute certainty, for all of us will experience death, unless the Lord comes back first. During COVID we have all had an opportunity to examine how we live and to realize what is important in light of eternity. II Cor. 5:6-8 (ESV) says, “So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” During this brief time on earth, we are away from the Lord but one day when we die; if we know the Lord, we will be at home with Him forever.  Maybe we have had lots of thoughts lately about our mortality and have seen death up closer than ever before; hopefully it has also changed how we live each day. We pray to Jesus who Himself has experienced death and is our ultimate destiny. Ever since the day we were born, we have been in the dying process and God decides our final moment on earth. We must accept our mortality and not run from it. We will of course, experience suffering in this life for we have never been promised that we will escape it; but it can become preparation as we realize God is most present with us in those dark times. We come to know how fragile our life is and how much we need Him. Our granddaughter loves plants and recently I went with her to a huge nursery where I have never seen so many varieties of plants. There are ones that even bloom in the dark like moonflowers, evening prim roses, and others that can only be viewed in all their glory after dark. Perhaps God is most present to us in those dark moments, in our times of suffering when we long for comfort. Our culture is one that wants comfort and not suffering. Perhaps that’s why there are so many addictions as people search for short term comfort. But it doesn’t work, for as soon the deep pain surfaces again, we try to find ways to numb our pain. But when we turn to the Lord, it can rather be a time that we can more readily receive His strength and love. He may not take us out of our situations, but is with us in the midst. Let us not fear death for it is a defeated enemy, but let us be changed by our trials during our time on earth, for it is preparation for an eternity with the Lord.
Challenge for today: Ask the Lord to help you bloom in those dark moments!
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

February 8, 2021

February 8, 2021 / / 0 Comments

Dear Ones, Hope you had a good weekend. We had a wonderful time at our son’s family in Kansas and yes, we all watched the Super Bowl together. Sadly, the Chiefs lost. We are home now and left at 4 a.m. with snow covered roads at first; but then they cleared and had good roads all the rest of the way. Thank you for prayers.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

In many ways, we all subscribe to the prosperity gospel as we think and expect God to make things in our lives work out if we do our part. And yet we may pray for years and not receive what we are asking for, and may continue to suffer from some form of sickness our whole lives. We want an end to our sickness, and resolution to problems, and enough money not to have to pinch every penny. But did God really promise that He would do that and give us immediate results? No. Some with chronic illnesses may never be healed in this life, but it doesn’t mean the person has less faith. God’s path for our lives may include persecution, and struggles, but underneath it all are precious pearls, the shaping of our lives to be more like Him, and His glory shining forth. One day we may see more clearly what God’s purpose was, but for now we humbly pray and accept His divine will for us. I think of a friend that has several health issues she has been living with for years, and yet she doesn’t complain. We just trust God for whatever healing He would do as we pray, pray. God promises us abundant life, and it may not look like what we envision but it is deep and lasting and satisfying. Those that seem prosperous outwardly seem to have a harder time to trust, as they may see no need for God. Others going through hardship know they need help. They experience His goodness and love in the midst, knowing God suffers with them. We are all called to pray and enter into the suffering of others. Sometimes they are miraculously healed and others we are being shaped by what they are going through. While at our son’s church the pastor shared of another pastor who was in a foreign country that did not allow proselyting. This pastor was asked to make a visit to a family of a loved one who died and needed comfort. The local official said it was not allowed and he could not do that. But since this would not be trying to convert others, the official relented and said okay; The pastor could go and pray for the dead man but if he didn’t recover, he would go to jail. (He had been imprisoned before) Everyone prayed and God answered and raised the dead man to life and a revival broke out in his church. Let us all reach out to share Christ with others and pray for them, and then leave the results up to Him who knows all things. As it says in Psalm 107:19-21″Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.” 

Challenge for today: Pray and begin to thank God for however He chooses to answer your prayers.

Blessings on the rest of your day and prayers and love, Judy

 

February 6, 2021

February 6, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are having a relaxed weekend and having time to get refreshed! We are enjoying our time here in Kansas and so much joy to be with family after a whole year. We are eating, laughing, shopping and catching up. Our granddaughter took us to her favorite store this morning as she is really into plants, and the house will soon look like the garden of Eden! We plan to celebrate tomorrow going to church and eating as we watch the Super Bowl.Emoji Appreciate prayers as we leave early Monday for home and some snow is predicted. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
We all get weary at times and not just tiredness of body from work, but also of our souls. Jesus said in Matt. 11:28-30 (ESV), “Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” That invitation includes all of us at various times in our lives who need rest! Going to Kansas yesterday we had gotten up at 2:45 a.m. and began our long road trip. Al and I talked the first 5 hours together, and then walked a mall, had lunch etc before I took a little snooze. I was feeling weary! Other times we may feel tired from a hard work day project and we remember Jesus inviting to us to come to Him for rest.  We serve the Lord often in our strength but we also can serve Him in our weaknesses. The apostle Paul had lots to boast about as a Pharisee of Pharisee, but after coming to the Lord he boasted instead of his weaknesses. Could it be we actually serve the Lord better in our weaknesses for there we come to experience His strength. Pastor Tish shares about a friend who confessed his secret sin to the Pastor and told what he was ashamed of. The Pastor’s response was surprising as he said, “We need you in our church, not in spite of your struggle but because of it.” In the place of weakness and repentance God shows Himself best! Jesus calls all of us who are weary and know we are not strong and all together. We need the Lord. How many times I have to pray, “Lord I need you!” Isaac the Syrian said, “Blessed is the man who knows his own weakness, because awareness of this becomes the foundation of beginning of all that is good and beautiful.” In our weaknesses, we experience God’s strength! Jesus said He’d give us rest and a yoke. Those that wore a yoke in Jesus day were to submit to someone. We are to submit to God’s authority and be taught by Him.  If we go our own way, we will experience a heavy yoke. Going God’s way, the yoke will be light for He shares our burdens, however heavy. Sometimes we find ourselves exhausted, and may not even have the words to pray, and in those times we can just sit before Him in silence. We then have the promise that the Holy Spirit will pray and intercede for us. Let us learn to rest in the Lord!
Challenge for today: Confess a weakness you have and ask for His strength.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

February 5, 2021

February 5, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
We got up very early this morning(2:45) to be on our way to Olathe, Kansas to see our son’s family. We just arrived and had a stop in D.M at the mall and Barnes and Noble. So wonderful to see family and hug again. Thank you for prayers. We saw many cars and trucks in the ditch.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
It is time to seek the Lord! It is time to stand for truth! It is time to praise the Lord! As we see things happening so quickly in our country, we may wonder how we are going to navigate in the future. How can we remain faithful to the Lord in a world that seems to be embracing lies and warring against God’s truth? I read an article on Elijah List by Faith Marie Baczko who warns us about agreeing with the lies of the enemy and principles of the world; and instead, how we need to agree with the will and Word of God. Do we desire to live for His purpose and pursue truth and faith? It is only God’s wisdom that will scatter the enemy and tear down the lies of Satan. Just like a sermon Al preached, she wrote how God is calling His people into the Ark, who is the Lord. There we gather with others who want to serve and praise Him, and find courage as we are united, to stand up and not to give in. The flood is not coming but rather has begun, and we need to get into the Ark.  Baczko also sensed God was saying to her that praise is how we will make it through the coming times. She felt like she was standing in a small boat in a bad storm with lightening and dark clouds around her. But she had her hands raised in worship and God saying to her, “Praise me in the storm, because praise will bring you through the storm.” When everything is getting darker by the minute and changing so quickly, we need to look to the Light and the One who is Power and victory. Baczko went on to say that now is the time to put on the armor of God  and get our house and marriages in order and stand in unity. It is time to fast and pray and worship together. It is time to seek God’s wisdom as it says in James 3:17 (ESV). “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” Only God’s wisdom will win the war over truth and let us stand together. We won’t make it standing alone, just like the animals that get separated from the herd when a predator is nearby. We need to get into the Ark and to stand together with praising hearts.
Challenge for today: Don’t agree with the enemy but seek to know more intimately the One who is Truth.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

February 4, 2021

February 4, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are enjoying the day and burr the weekend looks to be very cold! This morning I cleaned the apt and went downstairs for rhubarb muffins and cookies on a stick.Emoji This afternoon Al has someone coming to see him and I hope to do a little fun shopping. Tomorrow we leave very early in the morning for Olathe Kansas so your devotion will get to you later. Appreciate prayers for a safe trip and staying well! 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
When I sent out my daily devotional yesterday, I asked the question, “What has been the hardest for you in this year of COVID?” I have never before had so many responses as I did to that question. For most of you, the most difficult thing was the lack of being able to physically see your loved ones and to actually hug them. Grandparents expressed missing this growing up time with their grandkids and not being present to see their birthdays and accomplishments. Care workers were most saddened in seeing their patients isolated from loved ones and suffering alone. But with that said, there were many of you that saw this time as a time to draw closer to the Lord, to reflect, and not have as many distractions and meetings to go to. Time with family was cherished and spending more time in the Word was definitely a blessing. We have all had radical changes take place this past year, and what do we do when faced with them? We can complain and get depressed, or we can ask God what He wants us of us; what can we learn and what is His plan for us during this time? I was reading from an old worn book by Billy Graham and he said we can become embittered or we can grow through adversity. He gave an example of George Handel who wrote the Hallelujah chorus. At the time Handel lived in poverty and was suffering from his paralyzed right side and arm and yet the music he wrote has blessed all of us and brings much glory to the Lord. He also told of George Matheson who was the oldest of 8 children and very bright, graduating with honors. When he was 19 years old, he began going blind as he had an incurable condition. While he was at the University, he fell in love but when his girl found out of his blindness, she said she did not want to be married to a blind man. When Matheson’s sister got married, he was reminded of his own painful feelings of rejection and he wrote the song, “O Love that will not let me go, I rest my weary soul in thee; I give thee back the life I owe, That in thine ocean depths its flow May richer, fuller be.” He wrote it in a place of suffering but committed himself to the Lord, becoming a wonderful pastor, got his doctorate, and wrote many books. Perhaps COVID and other harsh things that happen in our lives are meant as opportunities to grow stronger and deeper and to share the Lord with others. And we have the promise that he will sustain us until the end. ( I Cor. 1:8)
Challenge for today: Write down what you think you have learned through this time of COVID
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

February 3, 2021

February 3, 2021 / / 0 Comments
 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Sometimes we make the mistake of thinking the Christian life should be one of ease and without struggles. But the desert saints who lived in the 4th and 5th century thought that struggle was necessary and normal for a healthy spiritual life. It’s not something we try to run away from but to embrace. Our goal should be intimacy with the Lord rather than a life of ease. Jesus said we must die to ourselves and take up our cross and follow Him and that is always a struggle. Jesus said in Matt. 16:24 (God’s Word, “Those who want to come with me must say no to the things they want, pick up their crosses and follow me.” This is something we need to do daily, and in many ways, moment by moment. When things are easy, we seem to let the world flood in on us and we become like the world. We read of the desert saints who chose that barren life in isolation and loneliness so that their spiritual growth would not be hindered by distractions and possessions. They wanted quiet and distance from the world, and felt comfort and wealth were enemies of the spiritual life. Many of the desert saints had a life of rhythm of work prayer and solitude. They prayed even as they worked. Of course, we don’t all have to live like the desert fathers but we can accept struggles in life as a means to help us humbly grow and be transformed more into His image. If we think back in time of when we grew the most and were dependent on the Lord, it would most likely be in times of struggles. The world we live in is fast paced and people are seldom satisfied and want more and to do more; many are in a constant state of busyness, and we miss what is really important which is what is going on in our hearts. And if problems come, we may feel we have to quickly get out of them rather than asking the Lord to teach us from them. My frustrations come with the computer and can send me for a loop. But I have to live with my computer if I am going to write devotions and send out e-mails so I can’t wiggle out of dealing with the issues that come up. As with any of our struggles we have Someone who we can go to, that will listen, calm our hearts, and bring change. We can ask Him what it is you are teaching me that I need to learn, and the Holy Spirit waits to help us. Let us be open, receptive and accept whatever means God chooses.
Challenge for today: Thank the Lord for the next struggle that comes, and seek to learn what God is teaching you.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy 

February 2, 2021

February 2, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope your day is full of sunshine! This morning I went to Aldi’s and then brought a friend with to the Dollar Store to get some prizes etc. Fun! This afternoon I need to wrap and do some food prep etc. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
How attentive are we to the Lord, recognizing His hand in what is happening in our lives and things around us? As Christians our stance should be to notice how God is working and to watch for Him to act. Maybe right now things do not seem okay as our world is in an upheaval and news is hard to watch. But our ultimate hope is not in this world, and we wait for the day things will be made right. Our hope is in the future when one day all things will be made new. Tish Warren and her husband (both Anglican priests) were having marital problems and she shares how they went away without their kids to try to work things out. At the time they didn’t have much hope to save their marriage but they bought a magnet that said, “Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.” They purposed to forgive and listen and love, even though their marriage was not ideal at that point. She quotes Julian of Norwich who said, “All shall be well, all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.” Things may be far from what we would like right now and it may seem like a dark night; but we can learn to watch and wait in hope for the morning to come. We don’t know how God will answer our prayers or even if things will get worse, but we know that ultimately, we have a glorious future. One day we will enter into an eternity of all that God has promised for us! Tish writes to encourage us to also wait and watch for signs of his kingdom here and now and not miss what He is doing. He is always at work and sometime we need to slow down and be still and watch. I know I need to do that. Because of technology we take in small bits of information but don’t have much sustained attention. We find it hard to wait. But let us take time to see God’s presence in the world, to pray with others, to wait with hope. In Micah 7:7 (Amplified) it says, “But as for me, I will look to the Lord and confident in Him I will keep watch: I will wait with hope and expectancy for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.” This is not a time to be asleep but to be awake, and to recognize His grace and mercy as we wait for the dawn to come.
Challenge for today: Ask the Lord to make you more aware of His presence and how He is at work.
Blessings on  your day and prayers and love, Judy

February 1, 2021

February 1, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you had a good weekend! We have been enjoying walks on the Paul Bunyan while the weather has been mild. Al has two Doctor appointments today and I went with him to one this morning and this afternoon he hopefully gets the ear stitches out. So good the Dr. caught this when she did.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Our relationship with the Lord is the most important relationship of all. Sometimes we show by how we spend our time that we don’t value this deep connection with Him as a priority and He is somewhere down our list. Our life was not meant to be lived that way but rather with Him as number one and all the rest of our life flowing out from that. I was reading today from Matt. 6:33 (Amplified), “But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.” When we seek the Lord first, we can relax and not have to worry or be pre-occupied with getting our own way. When we give our full attention to Him and His kingdom work, everything will fall into its proper place. But sometimes we have a mental schedule of what we want to accomplish in a day and hold to that; and then we can get frustrated when it doesn’t work out!  But if we give the day into what God has planned, we can sail along even with anticipation, wondering what He has in store for us. We need to be flexible and remember He is in charge; I especially have to remember that! Too often I speed into my day, after I have my devotional readings, rather than taking quiet moments to just sit and listen and commune with the Lord. After Jesus told us to seek His kingdom first, He went on to say, “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow.” (verse 34) In may ways it gets down to a matter of trust. Do we trust God with our whole lives, relationships, work, needs? If we are in charge, worry will set in, but if we give Him first place, we can be at peace, knowing He will work it out for His glory. May we put Him in first place in every area of our lives.
Challenge for today: Start each day with setting yourself aside and giving the Lord His rightful place.
Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy
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