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 91 of 270)

December 23, 2022

December 23, 2022 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
  Happy Christmas Weekend!  Hope you are keeping warm on this cold weekend. This morning I cleaned the apartment and did food prep and some packing. Tomorrow we plan to go to the Lake and have a Christmas dinner with Ann’s family. We also hope to get home in time to go to the Christmas candlelight service at our church. Then on Saturday we all go to the cities to celebrate with extended family.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
   How hard it is to let go of our old ego, to die to our old self that keeps wanting to rise up again. We all go through humbling times and we may want to strike back when someone treats us wrongly but that is not the Jesus way. We must move on from an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, as Jesus calls us to refrain from seeking to get even. That is a hard one for sure. He says in Matt. 5:38-42 (Message), “Here’s what I propose: Don’t hit back at all. If someone strikes you, stand there and take it. If someone drags you into court and sues for the shirt off your back, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. And if someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.”
  The closer we grow to the Lord, the less we have to get upset about. It is great when people treat us well but of course we all will experience times when we are blamed, taken advantage of and spoken against. Our natural inclination is to stand up and defend ourselves and our reputation. John Michael Talbot writes about an extreme example of nonresistance that I just marvel at. The desert father, Marcarius, was falsely accused of fathering a child by a promiscuous woman. Instead of trying to get justice, he passively accepted the blame and cared for the woman and the coming baby. The birth was a difficult one with much pain and the woman believed it was a sign from God and she repented and cleared the monk’s good name. The townspeople also repented for they had judged him, but Marcrius didn’t gloat but went on as if nothing had ever happened.
   Would that describe us? I am quite sure I may have tried to defend myself. There are times I have done that in the past, but it would have been better if I would have let it go and endured it silently.  May we all seek to die more to ourselves and not react but embrace the cross.
  Challenge for today: Ask the Lord to help your respond in love to those who do you harm and not react but pray.
Blessings on your Christmas weekend. Love, Judy

December 22, 2022

December 22, 2022 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are enjoying this day and keeping snug and warm. We are glad we don’t have to go out today as our Bible Study is just downstairs. This morning I have been busy in the kitchen and made Cauliflower potatoes, sweet potato rounds, S.F. blueberry muffins and also went downstairs for a quick cup of coffee. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
  Soon we all will be gathering with family and friends to celebrate Christmas which usually means a feast of good food, laughter, gifts, carols, games, reading the Christmas story etc. But in all of our celebrating, do we really remember Jesus’ birthday and the reason we are gathered in the first place. At some gatherings He is totally ignored and other places his name cannot even be mentioned lest someone be offended. How sad that the birthday of the coming of the King of Kings is ignored by so many in our culture.
  But even if we are not overt in honoring the Lord, our actions and behavior should tell the story of His love that has changed our lives,and those closest to us would be the first to take notice. Today I read about the man who was tormented by evil spirits and lived among tombs. He suffered greatly and cried out to Jesus. Then Jesus did a miraculous thing for He cast the demons into a herd of pigs who then rushed down the slope and were drowned in the sea. What a miraculous change happened to that man and he wanted to accompany Jesus as he went about preaching and healing.. But Jesus told him in Mark 5:19 (Amplified), “Go home to your own (family and relatives and friends) and bring back word to them of how much the Lord has done for you, and (how He has) had sympathy for you and mercy on you.” He told him to start with those that knew him best like his family and friends, for they would certainly see the wonderful change in his life. And that’s exactly what he did; he went home and began preaching in the region of Ten Cities about what Jesus had done for him.
  Our mission field begins with our families and friends and goes out from there. Some of us may not have seen part of our family since last Christmas, and what would their take be about us? Would they be able to discern that we spend time with the Lord, that we desire to live for Him and do His will? Would they see love reflected in our eyes, and kindness in our actions?  
  Let us be witnesses of God’s mercy and share when we get an opportunity, but also let our unspoken actions witness of His grace.
Challenge for today: Ask the Lord for opportunities to humbly share Him with family and friends. 
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

 

December 21, 2022

December 21, 2022 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you have a good day and stay warm. It is starting to snow again and it is suppose to continue the next few days. The house is full of aroma though as I have a big pot of stew in the crockpot. I have exercise class this morning and I’m quite sure Al and I will be walking in the underground again this afternoon. Bible study tonight at church but will have to see about the roads. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
  Things are not always as they seem and we must always seek truth. Sometimes what we may think we know later turns out to be in error and we have to change our ways. That keeps us on our toes to be open and have our antennas up to catch the right signals.
   When we lived on the lake, I could make all the noise I wanted as we didn’t have any neighbors living nearby. Also, if no guests were staying on our lower level, it didn’t matter if the pans banged when I was baking or if the music was loud. But moving to apartment living changed that since we have someone living below us and along one side of us. We want to be considerate neighbors so try to be quiet when we get up in the morning and walk softly etc.
  Our neighbor downstairs told us she was leaving on Saturday for a Christmas trip and would be gone a couple weeks. When Saturday came, I told Al she was gone for a while and we could wouldn’t have to be careful with the noise. Then much to my surprise a few days later I saw her getting her mail downstairs and all those of us around her said, “I thought you were gone!” She said that complications had come up and she was still home for a while. I felt bad and apologized right away for the added noise we made! What we thought was not true.
   But more importantly, we are hearing things today that sound good but are not truth. It may be what we want to hear and we go along believing it, because it is in line with what our culture is saying. But truth of the scripture doesn’t change, even if a majority of people disagree with it. Today we hear messages, even from the pulpit; that contradict what Jesus says and tell us everyone will go to heaven, truth is relative, there is no hell etc. But we must always go back to the Bible and believe Him who is truth. Jesus said in John 14:6 (NRSV), “I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  It really doesn’t matter how we feel about it, for Jesus is the only way. We celebrate this Christmas season, but every day can be a celebration of His coming to save us and to give us abundant life. Our deepest joy is in knowing Him and following His way of truth. Let us not be fooled by the artificial substitutes of the world but come to know intimately the One who loves us beyond words and speaks truth to our ears.
  Challenge for today: Stick with the truth of the Word no matter what the world may say. 
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy 

December 20, 2022

December 20, 2022 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
It is getting closer to Christmas and may we each have time to let the Christmas story take hold of us. This morning I hope to do some food prep, wrap a few gifts and get to Aldi’s… and maybe downstairs for coffee. This afternoon we are invited over to friends for fellowship and coffee! EmojiEmoji
Devotions from Judy’s heart
  Angels are real and we hear of them many times in scripture. At this time of the year we especially think of the angel Gabriel, who appeared to Mary and after greeting her told her that the Lord was with her and that she would bear a son called Jesus. I’m quite sure when Mary woke up that morning that she never envisioned having an angelic visitor.
  Angels are messengers of God and are around us all the time. Some people have actually seen an angel, though I have not, but we can see evidences of their presence. We may have attributed events that cannot be explained in our lives to angelic actions. That does not mean we should worship them for they worship God as we do and seek to serve Him. They carry out God’s plans on earth and minister to us, often bringing encouragement and strengthening.
    Demons are also real and mentioned in scripture but they are out numbered by angels. In fact, angels can help us in our struggle against demon powers. As great as angels are however, we should not give them more attention than the Lord for they are only sent to help us and lead us to the Lord.
 Have you ever wondered if they are present in church during worship services. I was reading of one preacher who saw that he had 3 angels by him when he preached. He didn’t speak of this to others but 2 people came separately up to him and told him they saw an angel on each side of him and one in the back of him.
  Angels can also be present at a time of death to escort people into glory. Al and I have been with people who were dying, and have seen evidences that they are being ushered into heaven. When my brother was dying I prayed each night as his family held the phone up to his ear. Then one night, I felt led to pray that he would be ushered into heaven and he died at that moment.
Are angels real? Yes, and let us look with the eyes of the Spirit to behold their actions.
Challenge for today: Thank the Lord for His ministering angels in your life.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

 

December 19, 2022

December 19, 2022 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
 Hope you had an enjoyable weekend. The temperature has taken a nosedive and we may be walking in the underground today. I plan to bake cookies and go to my exercise class this morning. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
   Let us never, never give up, no matter how bad things look outwardly for we have a miracle performing God that can change the outcome, according to His perfect will. But that means we find don’t throw away hope but hang on in faith in the One who can do all things. He can move mountains, He can close the mouth of lions, He can dry up the Red Sea etc.  As it says in Jer. 32:17 (ESV), ”Ah, Lord God! It is you who made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.” Do we believe that? Even if it looks like all is lost, the Lord can change the expected outcome.
  I was reminded of this when watching the Viking game on Saturday.  I was with a couple dozen gals from church for a luncheon at The Landing. We noticed when we arrived that the Viking game was on in the next room and lots of cheering going on. But we soon found out that they were Colts fans and not cheering for the Vikings. During our luncheon we kept looking at the score and when we were about to leave it was 0 to 33 at half time. Hard to believe but I said to the gal next to me that we must not give up hope, even in such terrible odds, as things can change. Of course, it seemed highly unlikely with such a lopsided game but when I got home, Al was into the game and things were changing. One more first down came, and then one more touchdown and as the Vikings began scoring, hope was rising. To make things more exciting the game was tied and went into overtime. Then miracles of miracles, the Vikings won! The greatest comeback of all times in NFL history. But what if they had given up at half time! What if coach Kevin O Connell just told the team it was hopeless? They would have missed out on the victory.
  What if we give up on the Lord when facing great odds in our lives. We will miss out on the great things He has in store for us. It doesn’t matter how dark things look at the time, or the Doctor’s diagnosis, or what the so-called experts say; God is over all and He has the last word. We must put our hope in Him for He is worthy of our trust.
  Challenge for today: When a crisis comes along, put everything in the Lord’s hands and hope in Him.
Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy

 

 

December 17, 2022

December 17, 2022 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Happy weekend as you prepare for Christmas! We had a party yesterday for December birthdays and today our women’s group is going out to The Landing for lunch and fellowship. I hope to get some cleaning done first. We have our children’s Christmas program tomorrow which is one of the highlights for me each Christmas, as children seem to tell the Christmas story often better than us adults. 
Dvotions from Judy’s heart
  How wonderful it is to be with people who exude the fragrance of Christ. We can sense the aroma of the sweetness of God’s presence on them and feel strengthened by just being with them.  I run a diffuser each day in Al’s study and our bedroom and I put different kinds of essential oils in them. It not only smells good but it sends a mist that can help kill bacteria and viruses, lift our spirit, and even oxygenate our cells. 
   When we spend time in the Lord’s presence and in His word, our lives are affected and we change and become more like Him. We let go of those stenchy things that are not pleasing to Him, and soon we notice a sweet fragrance results. It is not us, for in us dwells no good thing, but it is His love and nature that He is pouring into us and through us to others.
   It says in II Cor. 2:14-16, “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things?”
   Just like the diffuser we are to be fragrant dispensers of his love to others. We tell them what we have experienced but don’t try to dump the whole load on them. We have only to remember someone sitting next to us that seems to have used up their whole perfume bottle and it is overwhelming. We need to be gentle in our sharing. The diffuser sends out a steady flow of the oil fragrance and likewise we are to be consistent and let His love flow out of us to others without hindrance. But like Paul said, our fragrance isn’t always received well and to some we are a deadly aroma for they refuse the Lord.
   But let us not be deterred but let His fragrance through us fill the air and bring glory to Him.

 Challenge for today: Share with someone who exudes His fragrance what a blessing they are to yo.

 Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

 

Dcembr 16, 2022

December 16, 2022 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Happy weekend! Hoping to get out this morning to get the cake at Costco for our monthly birthday party this afternoon. It is truly a winter wonderland, and Al and I walked in the snow yesterday although we had to go slower. Hope you are enjoying preparations for Christmas.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
  Today we live in a polarized culture that is full of anger. We see pictures online of angry mobs, road rage, ransacking of stores, and even beating of innocent people that happen to be on the street. Anger seems to be fueled by the media and it makes anger seem normal and justifiable. As Christians we know that there is righteous anger but most of what we see and experience in ourselves is not righteous anger and can be destructive.
   The apostle Paul said, “ Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun set on your anger, and do not leave room for the devil.” (Eph. 4:26) James also says that our wrath does not accomplish the righteousness of God. (Jas. 1:20) So where does anger come from and what do we do with it? I am reading a chapter in John Michael Talbot’s book on anger and it gets me thinking of my own life. I don’t get angry often but as Al might say, I can get frustrated when watching the news and angry when things are reported falsely.
    Talbot says that anger comes from attaching our ego, and sense of worth, and enjoyment to objects, people, or projects. We have to let go of our old self nature and bring it to the cross in order to get free of anger. Sometimes we may think if we were in a different environment, it would solve our anger issues. One monk thought he could get rid of his anger by moving out of the monastery to a cave; but he discovered that his anger surfaced in getting angry at objects, like his jug of water that tipped over.
  It’s not good just to excuse ourselves when we are angry when corrected, or maybe belittled or injured by others. We must be open to recognize the anger that is in us, and be willing to forgive and let go, so that we may be healed. If we don’t, we will become bitter which results in poisoning us, for then we will fail to recognize the goodness of God. Talbot says the cure is praise of God in accepting and receiving forgiveness
  Let us not hide our anger but deal with it so that no bitter root will spring up in us.
Challenge for today: When thoughts of anger come to mind take it to the cross and let go that you may be healed.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

December 15, 2022

December 15, 2022 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Oh the snow out my window today…so beautiful and so welcome if you don’t have to go somewhere. Some brave person went and got the donuts early this morning and tomorrow we hope we can get to Costco for the birthday cake. I have made 2 batches of cookies this morning and this afternoon we have Bible Study.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
How good are we at offering forgiveness to others? Perhaps that is the most precious gift we can give them. We may be often hindered in forgiving others by not seeing our own sins but instead judging theirs.  The Greek word of forgiveness is aphiemi and means to let go to divorce, leave, or send forth. We let go of the need to judge or punish and instead we offer forgiveness. That includes forgiving even before the other person is sorry or desires to reconcile.
   The longer I know the Lord, the more I see my need for mercy and forgiveness. Often during the day, I lift a prayer confessing my sin of that moment or a sin from long ago and ask for forgiveness. I like to then thank the Lord that He has forgiven me as the enemy likes to bring old things up; instead of chastising myself that I didn’t respond differently etc., I like to thank the Lord for His forgiveness and that my sin is now drowned in the depth of the sea! We have the wonderful promise that as we acknowledge our sins, that He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrong doing. (I John 1:9) A good verse to memorize in our arsenal against the enemy!
  I love John Michael Talbot’s picture of forgiveness. He said forgiveness is like a constant fall of rain from God and we are like cups lying upside down. God’s rain of forgiveness and love continues to fall but we can only benefit from it if we turn our cups right side up and let them be filled. Otherwise, we cannot receive, for we lack repentance.
   We must also be quick to forgive others and Talbot mentions that they should be able to sense forgiveness by looking into our eyes of love rather than the scorn of judgement. When we don’t forgive it binds us up, and them, and sometimes even a whole church or community.
   Let us all ask the Lord for humility to see our own sins and not judge others but to show the precious gift of mercy.
Challenge for today: When we see the sin of others be quick to say, “There, but for the grace of God, go I.”
Blessings on this snowy day and prayers and love, Judy

December 14, 2022

December 14, 2022 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
What a goreous sight outside our window as everything is laden with several inches of white fresh snow. We may go for a walk this afternoon in it and enjoy the beauty. I was busy all morning in the kitchen and made many cookies, mostly gluten-free and starch free. Al preached next door and didn’t even have to go out side. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
  Christmas is a time for giving for God gave us His very best in sending Jesus to earth for us. What can we give in return, but our hearts! When our hearts are filled with love and gratitude to Him, the natural thing is to want to also give back in response.
   Last night I had a dream and I don’t always remember my dreams but this one I recalled as it was rather appalling to me. Some stranger from the church came to me and asked me what I was going to give to the church as I was obligated since I attended. It was like he figured out how much I used the church and would need to give in relation to that. I thought no, no, no, I want to give because I am grateful to the Lord and not out of obligation.
   At our church, we are not pressured at all to give, but just told of needs for missionaries and special concerns etc. and the money comes in. We give as we are led by the Spirit to give and that way we can give from the heart. If we receive a gift from someone who was forced to give, it takes away from the joy of receiving it. It says in II Cor. 9:7-8 (God’s Word), “Each of you should give whatever you have decided. You shouldn’t be sorry that you gave or feel forced to give, since God loves a cheerful giver. Besides, God will give you His constantly overflowing kindness.”  
   We are not deserving of God’s grace to us and when we give, we are expressing our gratitude for all His blessings that He pours out on us each day… the giving may be in the offering plate, but the giving is also as we share with others and give to their needs. It is a way we give back to God, for everything we have has come from His hand. We are also told that if we are generous, we will prosper and be refreshed too. (Prov. 11:25) At this Christmas time let us give with compassionate hearts of those who have received so much that we just have to share, share, share!.
   Challenge for today: Give to a need secretly and tell no one else. ( I suspect God will be smiling)
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

 

December 13, 2022

December 13, 2022 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
  Hope you wake to a day full of God’s surprises. Have you ever been surprised by an unexpected road the Lord took you on and later thankful for how it turned out?  Perhaps we have all had those times and it is important to listen and go His way and not ours. 
We had a fun party here at Northern Lakes last night with so much food, games and prizes, and caroling. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
  How focused are we to seek the will of God in our lives and then do it? Maybe we feel we have taken some side roads and veered off at times from the path God wants us on. All of us can get distracted and also influenced by others and sometimes we find we have missed an opportunity God had for us and we try to get on track again.
  When I was doing my homework for Women’s Bible Study and it is on the book of Ruth, I noted how she followed God’s plan for her life. She was a Moabite woman married to an Israelite man who died and left her a widow. She could have gone back to her home country and people but instead she went into the unknown of a new country and people with her mother-in-law.  She followed God’s plan for her life and didn’t get sidetracked and later married Boaz and became the great-grandmother of King David.
   Sometimes we miss the best God has for us when we get distracted by something good but not God’s best. We need to listen carefully and well for it could be that the good is the enemy of the best! Each time Al got a call for another church we had to pray and seek God’s will. One time it was for a church in Hawaii and the kids and I all said, Surely that is the will of God!! But of course, we knew it was our flesh responding to what seemed like an opportunity to spend our days on the warm beach!
  For many of us it would be hard to uproot and move across the country to a new job or perhaps to a foreign country; but it takes praying and listening and seeking to hear the Lord so we can discern His will. It doesn’t always seem logical or practical but later when we look back, we can see His hand moving us just where we need to be. As it says in Heb. 10:36 (ESV), “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised” Let us not settle for what is comfortable but seek to do His will.
   Challenge for today: Listen carefully and follow in obedience to what you hear the Spirit saying to you.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy
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