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 69 of 268)

August 7, 2023

August 7, 2023 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you had a great weekend! We enjoyed our relaxing time at the lake and wonderful weather. This morning I am going to the dermatologist and if I get back in time, I plan to go to my exercise class. The apt is filled with aroma as I just took egg dishes out of the oven. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
   When we know the Lord, we become part of the family of God, and bring with us our differing gifts, personalities, weaknesses and strengths. We are all unique for there is not another one in the Body of Christ that is exactly like us, and care needs to be given that we don’t expect others to view life through our lenses. Paul said in I Cor. 12: 12 “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.”

 For example, there are many personality type classifications that we have studied to show we all have strengths but also weaknesses. When we see others from their different vantage point, it gives us more compassion and openness to receive them and the gifts God has put into them. A very old personality theory Hippocrates made popular was on the 4 temperaments, of which all of them are present in our family. Briefly the Sanguine is described as cheerful and manic, the choleric rather angry and irritable, the melancholic as depressive, and the phlegmatic as rather calm. You may also know the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator as it is often used in the work world and has 16 categories. But each personality type gives us a peek into the inner lives of others that may be quite different from ours. Each type also has sin patterns that we struggle with, but might not be quite the same as another type personalities. We were never intended to be just like someone else but rather to become just who the Lord had in mind when we were created.

   Our commonality between all of us is the Lord for He is our Creator, our Father, and the One who unites us with Him and one another. I like what Michael Mangis wrote about A.W. Tozer who said, “Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other?” That is a great visual picture of the Body of Christ for it doesn’t matter if we are an beatup upright piano or a beautiful grand piano, for our common Tuning Fork forms us into His body, the church. We have been given the right temperament and gifts for what the Lord has called us to do.
Challenge for today: Be open to the different gifts in the Body of Christ and welcome and encourage them.
Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy

August 5, 2023

August 5, 2023 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
  Hope you are having a wonderful weekend. We are home from the Lake and had a perfect time. You can read about it following. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
  This morning I read from the book of Galatians. Paul says in chapter 5, “Christ has set you free and to live a free life…use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows…for everything we know about God’s Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That’s an act of freedom…Live freely animated and motivated by God’s Spirit.

 I felt like we experienced a time at the cabin of freedom in the Spirit. When I went to bed last night, I thanked the lord for a perfect day from start to finish. When Al and I first woke early yesterday morning we had time for personal devotions with the Lord and then prayer together to start the day. We began our trip to Hackensack by stopping to visit a friend from our former church who lives in Assisted Living. When I arrived, she was not dressed, had not eaten etc. and ordinarily she would be at breakfast. But since the help neglected her that morning, we were able to have a time of sharing and prayer. Her hands are gnarled with arthritis so the cookies on a stick that I made for her were the perfect answer since she could hold the stick and eat every morsel.
At the cabin I unpacked the food I had prepared for company and our daughter came over to visit while we waited. We had an uninterrupted time to catch up as we sat on the deck with perfect weather and no mosquitoes!

Friends came who we have known for many years and value their friendship and prayers. We weren’t rushed and could share our hearts together, catching up and praying together. The night before we left, a package that I ordered was hand delivered right to our door and in it was the gift I planned to give my friend that was perfect for her present circumstance. God’s timing is perfect!

  We had time to relax, nap and play scrabble before we had a birthday supper for Al on Ann’s Deck. Perfect weather, not too warm or cold, and my uncle brought his new girlfriend who we enjoyed getting to know. We had a wonderful meal and decadent chocolate cake for dessert that was almost 400 calories a piece!
  Al and I ended the evening sitting on the cabin’s deck, sharing our thoughts together as the sun went down. A lone loon swam in the water right out from our dock and gradually we were enveloped in quite darkness of night. As my head hit the pillow, my heart was full of thanks and praise. The day was perfect in every way; lived in freedom from schedules and received gifts from others even as we served one another.

Challenge for today: In your busy schedule, carve out time with the Lord to just be, even if it is only an hour.
Blessings on your evening and prayers and love, Judy

August 4, 2023

August 4, 2023 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Happy weekend to you! We are headed to the lake this morning and I plan to visit a friend on the way and then have friends over for lunch.  Ann and Leif are having us for supper to celebrate Al’s birthday early. This is the first time all summer that we have stayed overnight so it is a treat. I will e-mail again later tomorrow night when we return. 
 Devotions from Judy’s heart
Peace is something most everyone longs for and wants to experience each day, yet many lack the wonderful peace that surpasses all understanding. So many people are stressed and lonely today and peace seems illusive and out of reach. But the good news is that if we trust the One who holds everything together in His hands, we come to know true peace.

  Paul says in Phil. 4 that we shouldn’t be anxious but go to the Lord in prayer and ask our petitions. It follows in verse 7 (New Living Translation) as he says, “Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

  When we look around us today, there is so much unrest and anxiety which seems to only push people to strive more. But Jesus offers us a better way of placing our hope and trust in Him. There is a world out there that needs to know that, and we are sent to share the news and help show the way to peace. When we spend time in quietness before the Lord and let His Spirit fill us anew, His peace seems to flood our whole being and hope arises. Striving doesn’t work but simply trusting Him does. We come to Him with no agenda but simply to soak in His love. Even through our trials we can rest assured that He can work them for His good purpose.

  We don’t always understand His ways as they are not necessarily what we would choose; but let us not run from Him but rather to Him, knowing that He is holy, and He is love. May we remember He may be working His deepest good in us as we experience tough times. He will direct our lives in ways to draw us closer to Him in trusting faith as we wait for the final day when we are escorted into eternity for a glorious life that lacks words to describe.

 Challenge for today: When you feel anxious, seek Him in prayer and quietness, and let His peace wash over you!
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

August 3, 2023

August 3, 2023 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you have a good day and see others through His lens! Al has already gone to the Men’s group, and I plan to clean and do some food prep for going to the lake tomorrow. Today is Donut Day here Emojiand we have Bible study this afternoon. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
  As I was reading the love chapter in the Bible from the Message translation, I noted how Paul says in I Cor. 13:7, that love, “puts up with anything, trusts God always, always looks for the best.” Author Ajith Fernando quotes the NIV version that says, “Love…always trusts, always hopes.” He goes on to say that we are to think the best about others and give them the benefit of a doubt, even though we realize they are not perfect. Don’t we all like friends that view us that way? 
   When we know the Lord, we are to be grace-filled and look to the Lord in hope of what He can do in the lives of us all. No one is hopeless because of God’s grace to change us! Sometimes it is astounding when we see a radical change in someone who is now free of drugs and a responsible loving person. God has the power to change anyone as His grace is greater than our sin and weaknesses. Fernando gives the example of Barnabas who was a leader in the early church; he took a risk and brought Paul into the inner circle of Jesus followers when others did not trust Paul because he had been persecuting Christians. He also gave John Mark a second chance, after he had left Paul and him on a prior missionary journey to go home. The risk paid off as John Mark went with Barnabas and later wrote the gospel of Mark and became a bishop. 
  Today we may be in position to offer others second chances. Perhaps the hardest one is to give an unfaithful repentant spouse a second chance. But people can and do change because of God’s grace, and our belief in God’s power to do that may influence them as well. We must never underestimate what God can do in anyone who has been viewed as hopeless.               
  Recently a friend wrote about a guidance counselor who told her she would never finish college, let alone grad school and thus forget about being a librarian, which was her heart’s desire! But thankfully she didn’t let that detour her and she went on to get her degree and became a librarian on several mission fields and now is in a pre-retirement job as a librarian in a small town that she loves. Good thing she did not let the negative words detour her but gives God the glory.                   
Let us not let our negative culture today, keep us from believing that God does change people and we can all be transformed by His grace.                                                                    
  Challenge for today: View yourself and others through the eyes of the One who has power to bring change.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

 

August 2, 2023

August 2, 2023 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are enjoying a beautiful day. The sun is shining and everything is fresh after our rain. This morning I am going to Aldi’s and to my exercise class and then plan to do some cooking this afternoon to take to the Lake this weekend. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
  Haven’t we all experienced times in our walk with the Lord when we lacked compassion, and felt rather apathetic?  We notice our zeal for the Lord and others is lacking and we don’t feel very compassionate for others. I read about Acedia today from a pastor who said many others, including pastors, may go through a time of spiritual apathy or Acedia and some call it Compassion Fatigue. But it can happen to any of us. I paid special attention as Acedia or sloth is the chief sin of someone with my particular personality type.         
   It may begin when we seem to grow cold to the things of the Lord, and we just go through the motions, but our heart is not in what we are doing. Our prayer life may also suffer, and we are not as responsive to the Holy Spirit and feel almost numb. Pastor Harold Senkbeil describes it as a demonic attack for the enemy loves to attack those walking in the light. If he can’t get us to fall, he will try to snag our loved ones. But we need to recognize that it is a spiritual battle and call on the Lord to fight for us. It goes beyond our own will power and we must use our spiritual armor and put ourselves in His power and not let the enemy win.  We need God’s Word, prayer, truth, righteousness, peace, faith and salvation. It is also helpful to share what we are going through with another Christian soldier so we can have prayer protection also. As we humble ourselves and receive help, the enemy of our soul can get defeated.                                                     
 Today I read from James 4:7-8 in the Message and he said, “So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and He’ll be there in no time. Quite dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life.”                                                                           
Let us be alert to the enemy’s tactic and quick to call on the Lord!
Challenge for today: When you notice yourself getting apathetic and uncaring, cry out to the Lord and put on your armor!  
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy               

August 1, 2023

August 1, 2023 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
 May you have a fresh start to your day and anticipation for what God has for you. We are invited to friends for coffee and fellowship this afternoon and I hope to get some baking done this morning. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
  God prepares us for all that He has planned for our lives and has gifted us in His ways that will enable us to accomplish His will. I read from Eph. 2:10 (God’s Word), “God has made us what we are. He has created us in Christ Jesus to live lives filled with good works that He has prepared for us to do.” That means when God calls us to do something, He has put within us all that is needed to accomplish it.
  It is good for us to look back over our lives and see the steps of preparation God has given for us to step into what He has for us. I never knew I was going to be a pastor’s wife and probably would not have been my first choice since it often means being upfront and speaking etc. When I think back on my life, I was very young when I started helping my aunt after school and during the summers; I was like a nanny for her large family and also helped with housework, parties for doctor friends etc. I learned a lot that served me for life in the parsonage, entertaining guests, and working alongside my husband etc. The Lord prepared me even when I was very young, for He knew I would marry a pastor and be put in difficult situations that require His wisdom and help.                                                                                                                       
    Today in my devotions, I was reading about David and how God prepared him to one day be king. He started out as a simple shepherd and spent time alone with his sheep and often sang to the Lord as he played his harp. He knew the need for God’s power as he killed a lion and a bear who were after his sheep. Later he remembered God’s protection as he went against the giant, Goliath, who defied the Lord; yet he went forward without armor and bravely struck the giant and cut of his head. David became a mighty warrior and eventually king. But just like us, he was not perfect. In fact, he was a murderer, an adulterer, a deceiver and yet he repented and experienced forgiveness and came to be known as a man after God’s heart.                                       
  Let us not think that God cannot use us because we have done this or that in our lives, but remember we have a God who hears our confession and forgives all our sin. He can also use our life experiences as preparation for what He calls us to do. May we be look from God’s point of view and enter into what He has for us.
Challenge for today: Take some time to review your life and thank God for how he has prepared you for your calling today.   
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

July 31, 2023

July 31, 2023 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you had a wonderful weekend! Each day has been sunny and warm. This morning I am going to go to my exercise class and this afternoon Ann is coming and then a party after that.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
 It is so beautiful to be with unselfish people that are always on the lookout of how they can serve others. They live out what Paul said to the Philippians in Phil. 2:3-4, “Don’t act out of selfish ambition or be conceited. Instead, humbly think of others as being better than yourselves. Don’t be concerned about your own interests, but also be concerned about the interests of others.” It is a joy to work with people who put that into practice and their focus is off of themselves. They are not concerned if they will get noticed or receive credit, for they look out for the needs of those around them.
  Each month I work with two people like that for the parties here and we have so much fun, as we work side by side. Not just at parties but one of them seems to notice the needs of others in our complex and is quick to help in any way she can. When new people come, she welcomes them and invites them to the special events we have here. The other one is 96 years old and has just as much or more energy as we have. She is never idle, and she also knits 100’s and 100’s of caps for the needy for when the weather turns cold. Neither of these friends sit down during the parties we have, but help me serve and pour coffee and clean up etc.
   All of us serve someone, either the Lord, or ourselves. When it is God, we surrender our plans to do what He asks of us. If it is in serving ourselves, our world is small, and we never seem satisfied. We are here on earth to bring glory to the Lord, to be interested in the needs of others and to share the good news with them. Let us not insist on our own selfish way but submit ourselves daily to the Lord and let Him direct our lives.
  Challenge for today: When feel nudged by the Holy Spirit, respond to the need before you, and let go of your plans.
Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy

July 29, 2023

July 29, 2023 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are enjoying the weekend! I just made egg dishes for Al and soon going to do more food prep and clean the frig etc. Happy news! Our granddaughter got engaged last night and we are so thrilled for them both!
Devotions from Judy’s heart
   When we know the Lord in a close relationship, He reveals God’s love to others by our words, prayers, and acts of kindness. It’s not out love, but His love that flows through us and enables us to love what some may call the “unlovable” and even our enemies. Many people we meet may not be interested in hearing a sermon about God, but some kindness done to them, grabs their heart and it begins to open.                                              But we all need to guard against our own attitudes and actions that can nullify people receiving God’s love. One thing that kills love is envy and Paul wrote to the Corinthians (I Cor.18:4) that, “Love does not envy.” The Corinth church must have had that problem for some envied even the spiritual gifts of others. But we all have to beware since envy causes conflict and resentment. People compare themselves with others and think of them as the competition, rather than brothers and sisters in Christ. When we do that, we will come up feeling deficient and unhappy as there is always someone who we feel is better or more talented than we are. Envy can start early in life if parents compare their children with others and leave them wanting. It happens in the church also, if we forget who we are in Christ. Maybe another person is chosen over us to take a position we wanted, and we are envious and make sure others know that person has weaknesses!                                     
  Each of us is unique and not to be compared with anyone else. Our motive for wanting to do well, should not be to compete with others but to do our best for the Lord and to enter into all that He has for us. When we envy others, it shows we are not sure in our hearts of our worth to God, although we may know with our minds. I love the verse in Ps. 149:4, “For the Lord takes delight in His people; He crowns the humble with victory.” The Lord accepts us, rejoices over us, and even sings over us; our response should be praise and deep joy! If that is hard to believe, it is good to spend time in the Word and to let the Holy Spirit speak to our hearts. When we spend time in His presence, we won’t have to feel insecure by someone outshining us for our lives are secure in His love. God has a place for each of us to fill, let it not remain empty but rejoice as we fill that position.
Challenge for today: Confess any envy that you hold for others, and thank God for who he made you to be.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

July 28, 2023

July 28, 2023 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Happy weekend to you!  Today is Birthday party day here so Al and I will be going to Costco soon to pick up the cake. I am going to make soup and do food prep but doubt we will walk in this hot weather today. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
   What is the state of our heart? I wonder what God sees when He looks at each of our hearts. It is one of lightness, openness and compassion or is it hard and locked up and heavy? The state of our heart is important as it shapes our life.
  I must admit that there are too many times my heart is fearful and I need courage to do whatever it is that God puts before me to do. I’m sure I have missed things in the past that the Lord had planned for me and I have had regrets and asked forgiveness. I desire to have a courageous heart!                                                   
 Each one of our hearts has a different shape as no one else sees the world exactly as we do. Maybe you have a heavy heart and life seems burdensome and keeps you from experiencing the abundance of life God has for you. Or maybe you have a compassionate heart and feel for others and help carry their burdens. Perhaps you have a forgiving heart that experiences freedom because you don’t hold on to hurts but give them to the Lord. Or maybe you have a joyful heart that sees the positive side even in difficult things.                                                                                           But one thing we know that we all need to allow our heart to speak and to listen to what it is telling us. When we aren’t in touch with our heart, how can we know who we really are? Our heart’s longing is for the Lord, and it is the place where He lives. Most of us are busy all day long but at night in the quiet and darkness we often hear with greater clarity.                                                                                                   
  In Proverbs 4:23 it says, “Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.” May each of us guard our hearts and listen to what the Lord would say to us this day.
Challenge for today: Invite the Lord to show you the condition of your heart and ask Him to change it where needed.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

 

July 27, 2023

July 27, 2023 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
  Hope you are keeping cool today. Al is off to men’s group, and I am cleaning as we are having a pastor friend and his dad from Tulsa coming this afternoon after our Bible study. We see them only once a year so it is a special time. It is also Donut Day here! Emoji
Devotions from Judy’s heart 
  Money, money, money! What is enough money? Some people have very little money and are extremely happy and some with more money than they can ever spend are very unhappy. Jesus had lots to say about money for we can’t serve both God and Money. Wise King Solomon wrote that “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless.” (Eccl. 5:10)
 Money is one of the hot topics in marriage, as each of us have our own perspective of money which influences how we make decisions daily. If a lavish spender is married to a stingy hoarder both will have to do lots of compromising if there is to be harmony. Also, both may be greedy as Michael Mangis says in his book, Signature Sins, one would be greedy for spending and the other greedy for having money. As a practicing psychologist, he rarely sees a couple that money isn’t an issue of lots of contention and difficult discussions.  Maybe each one of us can think of how we feel about money…are we generous to a fault, or are we stingy and worry if we give away money or goods, we will not have enough for ourselves?  We see a little bit of both sides of the coin in Scripture for Jesus said we shouldn’t be so concerned about money and what we eat and drink but be like the birds and flowers who don’t toil. But then on the other hand, he also speaks of sloth of the servant who doesn’t make a profit for his master. Or throw in the example of Mary who pours a whole bottle of expensive ointment on Jesus feet, that would have been enough to feed many poor and yet He commends her. Then there is the question of how much do we need, and what else is simply wants or luxuries?
   Sometimes we have a hard time letting go of our money as we don’t believe God will take care of our needs, as if it all depends on us; but we forget we have a very rich and generous Father. How about tithing and giving at least 10% of what we have been given? Jesus said, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” Luke 12:48. I am always so astounded at the many times when we gave to others and how the Lord returned it to us in other ways with more than we gave. We can never ever out give God! Let us remember our security is in the Lord, not in our money or things!
Challenge for today: Give as the Holy Spirit prompts you and renew your trust in the Lord to provide all that you will need each day.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy
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