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 17 of 276)

July 17, 2025

July 17, 2025 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope your day is filled with peace and a time of rest as well. We had a fun party here last night. Today my meatman is coming at 6 a.m as he brings it right to our door.  I plan make choc chip cookies on a stick and later we have Bible study.
Devotions from Judy’s heart,
We recently returned from a place of great beauty in the high rolling hills of Wisconsin, where we stayed at the home of Taylor and Ethan. We had anticipated this trip for some time as we wanted to take in what a Christian community looks like and how they function together. A large number of people from all over the country have chosen to come together to worship and know the Lord in deeper ways. Some have families, some are single, some live in homes with others, but they all come together with the purpose to know the Lord deeply and let Him direct their lives as they experience and share His love.

The body of believers meets in a very large refurbished barn that has no electricity as it used to be an Amish farm. It takes a lot of dying to self as people from all parts of the country come to join with others to hear the Lord, be real, and give Him all. Some who were Amish have sacrificed everything to belong as they were now rejected by family. Everyone we met was so open and welcoming! Taylor had invited a couple over for supper and we got to hear their story and they wanted to hear ours; it was a blessed evening of coming together in the Lord and honest sharing.

It was particularly impressive on Sunday morning when we all assembled for the service. It isn’t like many churches where you come together for an hour and everyone gets restless if the service lasts longer. This service lasted three hours, and no one got up to leave but instead wanted to take in all shared by the three men who felt led by the Holy Spirit. It was impressive to see that with all the many children there: they were quiet during the whole service as parents teach them respect for the Lord. We went away with full hearts, feeling loved and blessed. Most Sundays they have a potluck meal following, but due to the heat it was canceled that day. The Sabbath was not just an hour of the week, but a day of worship, fellowship and community.
Let us not limit what God wants to do in our lives. As I read in Isaiah 55:2b-3, “Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline our ear and come to me; hear, that your soul may live.”
Challenge for today: Be real with the Lord and live in hope as you seek Him each day.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

July 16, 2025

July 16, 2025 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you have a faith-filled day! I plan to fry fish and make spaghetti pies, go to exercise class and a picnic supper party here at Northern Lakes. If we are done in time we will go to Bible study after that. Emoji
Devotions from Judy’s heart
The Lord wants us to have confidence in Him, for He is our solid rock and will be our safe place no matter what we face in the future. He doesn’t keep Himself at a distance, but is close to us and watching over us, especially when going through those hard times. I read recently from Psalm 34:18, “The Lord is near the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” I’m sure we all have had times when we feel like the bottom has dropped out and we wonder where God is. But we can have unshakable confidence that He is right beside us, feels our pain and will uphold us.

A song came to mind the other day by Ira Stanphill that I remember singing in a quartet as a teen. Theses words came back to me: “I don’t know about tomorrow; I just live from day to day. I don’t borrow from its sunshine, for its skies may turn to grey. I don’t worry o’er the future, for I know what Jesus said. And today I’ll walk beside Him, for He knows what lies ahead. Many things about tomorrow I don’t seem to understand, but I know who holds tomorrow and I know who holds my hand.”

There is a lot of fear in our culture today and people are stressed and anxious. But when we know the Lord, we can confidently rest in Him and know that we are held firmly in His hand. Like the last verse of this song says: “I don’t know about tomorrow, it may bring me poverty. But the one who feeds the sparrow, is the one who stands by me. And the path that is my portion, may be through the flame or flood; but His presence goes before me and I’m covered with His blood.”

Instead of fear let us trust in the One who stands by us, is close and gives us hope. We can face whatever happens in the future because of the assurance of God’s goodness and mercy.

Challenge for today: When fearful thoughts come to your mind, thank the Lord that He holds your future in His hands.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

 

July 15, 2025

July 15, 2025 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you have a day filled with peace. PTL our son Kurt had his cast removed from his arm and is thankful to use it, sweat and get it wet. Leif should hear today if he will need a boot as his foot was injured. We plan to have friends over for pie and prayer this afternoon and later I have a Women’s Bible study.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
One day as I was scrubbing the kitchen floor, the thought went through my mind: would someone coming to visit know that this is a Christian home? Would they notice the crosses, the pictures of Christ, Bibles and Christian books in our bookcases? All that may be true for most of us, but what about the atmosphere? Would others sense the sweet presence of Jesus, or is the atmosphere one of dissension and negativity?
Friends who are a clergy couple recently invited a Jewish couple they had met while traveling to stay at their home if they were passing by. The couple took them up on the offer and stayed with them, and must have noticed the signs that this was a Christian home. Although the couple never asked if they knew the Lord, when it came to mealtime they all held hands while praying. They saw the Christian symbols, Bibles, etc. and experienced the wonderful hospitality, hopefully being drawn to the Lord even without words.
We don’t know what others pick up when they come to visit, but our attitudes are reflected in our homes, whether it is welcoming, warm and full of Jesus’ love, or it is cold and lacks the presence of the Spirit. Recently I sat across the table from a missionary wife whose home is constantly filled with people that they are seeking to win to the Lord. It is also often filled with workers who come on short term missions to help lead VBS, preach, do work projects, etc. and she makes meals for them and gives them a place to stay, for their home is like a haven of God’s love.
Of course, God is ultimately our home, and like it says in Psalm 46:1, He is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. We find our shelter in Him.
Challenge for today: Make your home a welcoming place to share Jesus’ love.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

July 14, 2025

July 14, 2025 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you had a good weekend. We had a wonderful blessed time visiting Taylor and Ethan in WI. They belong to a Chrisitan community and we got to taste what it is like to be joined with so many who love the Lord.  Taylor invited a couple over for supper Saturday night and we shared stories of God’s grace together. We went to the church yesterday and heard powerful messages and it lasted 3 hours. So many families and young men who have found meaning to life. Perhaps I will share more in a devotional. Emoji
Devotions from Judy’s heart
The best book ever written is the Bible. It is powerful and proves true. As it says in Psalm 119:105, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” When we go to the Bible, it can guide us in all things necessary for life. It is not like books that we may just read for information, but it is far more. It tells us how to follow after God; it is important that we internalize scripture, and not miss the author.

My mom treasured the Word of God and also had us memorize many scriptures. She wrote verses out on recipe cards and one-by-one, we learned them together. Many of those verses come back to me in situations I may facing. I am thankful for His Word that is living, active and sharper than any two-edged sword. When we are in times of decision it can cut right through all the fluff, and get to the heart of the matter. It discerns the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Heb. 4:12) No Word of God is void of power!

So much of the Bible is about the relationship between God and His people. We were made to live with Him as the center of our lives, and His Word helps us to live closely to Him in love and to others around us. I love that it also shares those times when people fail but then turn back to the Lord and are received by Him again. The prodigal son sure knew what it was like to fail miserably and then be greeted with open arms again.

We need to approach the Word with an open heart, an open mind and the desire to hear the Lord speak to us. We never know what He will say and He speaks to us in many ways. One young man was not looking for Jesus, but he thought life was meaningless and had thoughts of suicide if he didn’t find purpose in life. He was angry but decided to open a Bible to the book of Mark and as he read, he said, “I became aware of a presence. I saw nothing. I heard nothing… It was simple certainty that the Lord was standing there and that I was in the presence of Him whose life I had begun to read with such revulsion and such ill-will.” But he met the Lord in the Word and his life was radically changed and he established the Russian Orthodox diocese of Great Britain and Ireland. He was Father Anthony of Sourozh. He found Jesus through the Word.

Challenge for today: Open the Word and humbly ask the Lord to help you become more like Him.
Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy

 

July 12, 2025

July 12, 2025 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,

Happy weekend to you! We are packed and ready to go to WI and prayers are appreciated. Taylor runs a coffee shop and we want to eat where she works and get a feel of their Christian community. Yesterday we went next door to Assisted Living  to pray for our former neighbor who will soon be home with the Lord. What a great day for her!

Devotions from Judy’s heart
How do we live our lives each day? Would that we all would be like the Psalmist who prayed, “Teach us, dear Lord, to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12) Al and I are becoming more aware as we age that our time in this world is going to run out. We don’t have a lot of time left and we realize more and more that time is a gift, and we need to make good choices as to how to live in the present.

Haven’t we all thought at one time or other of what people will say about us at our funeral? What would they remember about us that stood out to them?  Would they say that we loved well or that we served with compassion or that we worked hard? What things really matter? It is something we all need to think about lest we live lives devoid of purpose, becoming apathetic, distracted or even bored. How much better if we focus on what is important: putting down roots of faith, nourishing our souls, prayer and time with the Lord, work, loving relationships, etc. In other words, really living, not just going through the motions of empty routines.

We were meant to live each day with the awareness of the Lord’s presence, listening to what He has to say to us, letting Him love us and direct our lives. In prayer we give the Lord our focused attention and even our minds become renewed. At the end of the day, it’s good to think back to the times we experienced God’s grace, and also the low times where we failed, asking for His forgiveness and then for His help living well tomorrow. We all need to have a day of rest, a Sabbath rest, and choose to even put aside our phone and breathe in fresh air to our souls. We will find we are actually more productive and creative after taking day of rest. Life is not a treadmill and we need times for restoration.

Let us think of how we want our lives to be formed, giving time and attention to what is most important and how we would like to be remembered.

Challenge for today: Ask yourself if you are spending the majority of your time in line with your priorities.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy
t

July 11, 2025

July 11, 2025 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you have a wonderful weekend. We have company coming this morning and later we will pack the car as we will be
going to WI tomorrow to see Taylor and Ethan who you have prayed for in the past. We plan to stay overnight with them and
go to their church and potluck. Taylor is due next month to have their first baby and we hope she comes on Al’s birthday.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
We have been living here at Northern Lakes for nearly seven years. When we first moved here, the tree outside our bedroom window where I daily write was small and the top did not reach up to our second story windows. I could see the service road, the courtyard, the woods and the front of other apartments. But gradually, this same small tree has been growing little by little, and now is very big and fills three-fourths of our window so that my view of those things is blocked. I can see somewhat to the very right, which is assisted living, but I can no longer see the flowers growing in the middle of the service road, only a side of the courtyard, etc.
The blocking of my view did not happen overnight, for it was so gradual that I was scarcely aware of what was taking place. What was once just a cute little tree is now a big looming tree that has overtaken my vision of what is before me. Isn’t that just like sin and the little compromises we start making to justify our behavior that do not line up with the Word? We may think such a little white lie won’t hurt, or slightly adjusting the financial books at work isn’t really stealing, but it does matter more than we are aware of at the time. Soon we may have to tell another lie to cover up the first one. Or we may have to do more adjusting with the financial records and soon we are in big trouble.
The enemy will always minimize the resulting seriousness of the temptations he puts before us. But let us be on guard, nip it at the bud by saying “NO” immediately and refuse to take his bait. We can stand on the Word and quote it back as Jesus did. When tempted to lie say, “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are His delight.” (Prov. 12:22) Or when tempted to cheat say, “A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is His delight.”
Whom do we want to please? If it is the Lord, we must say no to the enemy and yes to Him. He will give us the power to resist and we can call upon Him anytime and anywhere. (Jer. 33:3)
Challenge for today: Meditate on I Cor. 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

July 10, 2025

July 10, 2025 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you have a day of blessings. It is Donut Day here and Bible study and I plan to clean and do some food prep. We had a wonderful dinner and time of fellowship yesterday with Missionaries who are from Brazil and then Bible study following at church where they shared. So inspiring!!
Devotions from Judy’s heart
The Lord wants each of us to live a full abundant life, but one of the main hindrances is unforgiveness. If we do not forgive others, we will become bitter. A survey taken of 2,000 adults showed that 69% of them harbored unforgiveness. The result takes its toll on our physical bodies, and as Dr. Colbert wrote it can manifest in depression, cancer, fibromyalgia, arthritis and so much more.

Forgiveness is not a feeling, but an important decision we make to cancel someone else’s debt. If we refuse, we will find that it will waste our energy and time, and quenches the Holy Spirit. We will be left with anger and distain for the person. Then the anger has nowhere to go but to go within us, and it may cause various sicknesses. It is easy to look back with regret, but then we lose our effectiveness in the new thing we are currently involved in. We are told to forget the things that are behind and press on to what is ahead. (Phil. 3:13) Mother Teresa is a powerful example of someone who saw bitterness as a big obstacle to love. She didn’t focus on things done to her, but on the person who caused her hurt. She forgave what they did to her and prayed for them as she felt they must be hurting themselves. She gave them a fresh start.

Memories of old hurts may come to mind and instead of dwelling on them, it is better to thank the Lord that He has forgiven them, forgotten them and remembers them no more. That is sooooo wonderful and we don’t have to bring something up again. Maybe we think we can justify our response, but it is better to simply let it go. Let us release and forgive others who have hurt us and not keep opening up old wounds; instead let us walk in love and forgiveness.

Challenge for today: If someone comes to mind that has hurt you, don’t wait but forgive them and pray for them.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025 / / 0 Comments
Sorry I am late today. I was clearing out furniture so our furnace could be put in and totally forgot!
Dear Ones,
Hope your day is full of opportunities to share the Lord. This morning we are getting a new furnace/A.C. unit as it is all worn out and needed replacement! Also, I have Exercise, Crafts, dinner out with missionaries and then Bible Study. I have poison ivy on my nose so it is also a humbling time to be seen! Emoji Your question for this week is: Am I open to let others know of my love for the Lord and look for opportunities to share Him?
Devotions from Judy’s heart
God can use even the smallest things in life to touch a heart and change a life…even something so small as a cookie on a stick. Those of you who know me also know that I Iove making chocolate chip cookies on a stick to give to children and also adults. Each time I visit a friend in assisted living I bring her a plateful of cookies on a stick, along with chocolate cake smothered with chocolate frosting, root beer and candy. Since it is rare for her to get a visit from any relative, she is very appreciative when I come, for we share the Lord together and pray. When leaving I feel I am the one that has been blessed by her positive attitude and thankful heart.
On the 4th of July when I brought her more treats, she told me how she shared one of the cookies I had given her with a man who had recently been placed at her table in the dining area. He has colon cancer that has metastasized all over his body and was feeling depressed and alone since he is expected to die soon. But when my friend engaged him in conversation at mealtimes, she also gave him one of her treasured cookies and his whole attitude changed. It was almost unbelievable to her to see the transformation in him, what a small gesture can do as an act of sharing God’s love.
Usually my friend eats the first two meals of the day in the dining room, but then for supper has only a piece of chocolate cake or a cookie on a stick. While I was in the midst of writing this devotional, she called me with great excitement sharing her experience with this new friend at lunch time after she asked him if he knew the Lord. When he said yes, she then proceeded to tell him the very things she and I had talked and prayed about for him when I last visited. She expressed to him the joy that soon he would be with the Lord in glory and would not need his wheelchair, for he would be walking and leaping and praising the Lord. She herself is also in a wheelchair and looking forward to the day she would do the same. My friend was so excited that God could use her to help bring comfort to her new friend and prepare him for eternity.
I was reminded of Jeus word to His disciples in Matt.10:8, “Freely you have received, freely give.” We have all been blessed by the Lord and received His wonderful gifts; let us not hoard them but give as the Holy Spirit directs us. It took only a little cookie on a stick to begin the mindset change of a discouraged dying man to receive the good news, find hope and experience love. Who knows what He will do when you offer up even your seemingly smallest gift to bless others.
Challenge for today: Thank the Lord for his abundant gifts, but hold them loosely to give to others as He directs.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you have a day of sunshine! I am catching up after being gone over the weekend and am going to make Al’s favorite cookies and other dishes to put in the freezer.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
It is great to read the Bible each day and to do so with an open heart. There are many people that study the Bible to gain knowledge and many facts, and even memorize a lot of verses. Others may go to the Word as if searching for a genie that will give them what they want if they claim the right verses, etc. But if we want to be transformed to be like Jesus, we have to come to the Word humbly, readily admitting our sin, and with an open repentant heart. If we read the Word and let it read us, we will find it leads us to greater love for the Lord and others. Just knowing facts won’t change our lives, but if we read the Bible to let it change us, we will have more love for the Lord and others. The real test is the quality of our love.

We are not to read the Bible to reinforce some of our own viewpoints that might be different than others, but to be open to what the Holy Spirit would teach us. Only then will we be transformed into His likeness. We can ask the Lord to teach us truth in our inner selves as David did in Psalm 51:6, “Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.” He goes on to ask God to create in him a clean heart and to renew a right spirit within him. His heart is soft and open to receive.

I think we have all heard preaching with long portions of scripture read and Bible studies where fine points are discussed at length, and yet we go home and wonder how it will bring change to my life. How can I apply it, and does it bring me closer in my relationship to Him? How much better small portions of scripture that we can meditate on and ask the Holy Spirit what He might be saying and showing us in a new way. We need to read the Word with our heart and ask that its message flow into us. I often think: what is the importance of what I am reading? If it is just factual, I have missed it. But if leads me closer to the Lord, applying the Word and obeying, then it is like manna to my soul.  Let us remember that, “it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for His good pleasure. (Phil. 2:13)
Challenge for today: Read scripture with a humble, open, expectant heart with the desire to be transformed into His image.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you had a wonderful 4th of July weekend! Al and I enjoyed being at the lake with about 30 relatives.  We finished our picnic about an hour prior to a storm hitting with lots of wind and rain. The rest of the time the weather was lovely and we played lots and lots of games, had my brother and wife for Finnish pasty, and 11 of us went to church together yesterday. Today I definitely need to get to my exercise class after eating so much!
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Sometimes when hurtful things have been done the person will say, “O just forget it! No big deal!” But if they have been offended, it’s good to allow them time to deal with their feelings rather than trying to bury the pain before acknowledging it. Let us remember we can’t bury something until we acknowledge that it exists in the first place.

Christians are good at covering up hurts, thinking we are more spiritual if we ignore an offense and get over it quickly. But that is not a recipe for good health of body or soul. We must remember that forgiving someone is one thing, but forgetting takes time. We can forgive immediately, but only God can forget right away. Somehow, we have gotten the notion that we haven’t really forgiven unless we quickly forget as well. But that is not so, for they are two different things. We all may still have some negative unforgiving feelings for a while after we have forgiven a person. Dr. Martin Padovani reminds us that forgiveness is a decision, a choice and an act of our will and intellect. It can still be genuine even when we don’t have warm, positive feelings, as we are saying with our will, “I forgive you.” But the feelings of forgiveness may take some time, for we don’t have control over our feelings but we do have control on how we handle them.

Let’s say someone has hurt us and we have anything but warm feelings towards him. We feel the pain and there are some resentful feelings still in our mind, but we don’t act on them. We don’t have to be hard on ourselves and feel guilty, but give ourselves time to get over it and not overreact. We are to be gentle with ourselves and trust that in time our heart will heal, and we may have good feelings towards the person in the future. In the meantime, we treat him respectfully and take time to reason and reflect. Suppressing our anger only makes things worse.

Challenge for today: Deal honestly with anger, for appropriate anger is a virtue and Jesus practiced that!
Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy
« Older posts Newer posts »
Email Subscription

Lists*

© 2026 Canaan's Rest

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑