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: Whispers (Page 134 of 165)

August 6, 2021

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

August 5, 2021

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

 

August 4, 2021

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

August 3, 2021

August 3, 2021 / / 0 Comments

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

August 2, 2021

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

 

July 31, 2021

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

July 30, 2021

July 30, 2021 / / 0 Comments
 

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

July 29, 2021

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

July 28, 2021

July 28, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you got the nice rain that we got this morning and everything out my window is looking fresh again. Al had men’s group this morning and I was able to clean some in his study while he was gone. I went to Exercise class and this afternoon is Crafts and then Bible Study tonight. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
How bold are we for the Lord and what may it cost us?
I read recently about the abduction by Islamists of over 100 students from a Baptist High school in Nigeria. The attackers came on motorbikes and started shooting as they broke through the perimeter fence of the school. Some students were able to escape but 125 were missing and since then some have been returned. There are so many attacks and mass kidnappings happening all over theworld today and in Nigeria this was the 10th one since December.
There are many today who are standing up for their faith and it is costing them their lives. It takes courage to stand up for what is right and not blend in to a culture that wants to keep Christ out. Jesus never gave in to the pressures of the world for He knew His purpose and never wavered in fulfilling it. We are to stand out from our culture and not blend in but to stand on the Rock who is Jesus. Like the chorus of the song by Ruth Caye Jones goes, “This Rock is Jesus, Yes, He’s the One; this Rock is Jesus, the only One; Be very sure, be very sure, Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock.”
Shakia Clark writes about ways to help us if we want to stand on the Solid Rock. She said we are to spend time reading the Word and getting our instruction from the Lord. As it says in Psalm 119:105 (ESV), “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” A young man we know and pray for daily, is soon going to get married; both he and his fiancé just recited 60 key Bible verses that they had memorized word perfect. What a wonderful way to challenge one another by committing the Word to memory! 
Clark also shares how important it is to allow the Holy Spirit to guide us and lead is in God’s way. That means we will also need to have an obedient heart. Have you ever prayed, “Lord show me your will but don’t make me do…………” You fill in the blank! Obedience isn’t always easy but the Lord asks us to trust Him and obey Him, even when we don’t see the whole picture. Sometimes that may mean standing alone but He is always, always with us. Clark also reminds us to speak the truth but to do it in love and not to fight back and get even.
We will all be tested at times and we need to stand firm on that stable Rock no matter what the cost!
Challenge for today: Memorize Psalm 119:105 and put it to practice by reading the Word daily.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

July 27, 2021

July 27, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Devotions from heart
At our last Bible Study here at Northern Lakes, we studied the familiar story of Jesus at the well with the Samaritan woman. The woman was quite surprised when Jesus asked her for a drink because Jews didn’t associate with Samaritans. But Jesus went on to tell her He could offer her living water and she would never be thirsty again. In their conversation He unfolded before her the life she was living, having 5 husbands and living with a man who was not her husband etc. Her eyes were suddenly opened to recognize that Jesus was the Christ; she left her water jar and went quickly home to tell her friends. She didn’t waste any time, but wanted them to know Jesus too.
Is that our heart’s desire also, to share Jesus with all those we come in contact with each day?
In our Bible Study, Al encouraged us to share ways we can witness to others of our faith, whether it be on the job or in our family relationships. We need to be sensitive and not come off as preachy and prideful but humble and loving. One man said we need to give others sips of water and not dump the whole bucket on them!
Sharing the Lord can start out as simply having coffee with a friend or two and casually find out where they are at. We look for common ground like if they are interested in art, we can make a comment about the beauty of God’s creation. Or if they are interested in sports, a comment about the character quality of a player.
We can show concern by listening to them and bringing encouragement and we may not even mention Jesus at first. Instead, we wait for the Holy Spirit to create an opening and it may be that we just say we will pray for them or offer to help in some situation they are in.
It is God’s work to draw people to Him and Jesus said in John 6:44a (ESV), “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws Him.” The Holy Spirit prepares hearts and He may have been at work getting them ripe for just that very time that we are in contact with them; we must be sensitive to the Spirit with our antennae up and not miss the opportunities before us. But let us not use spiritual jargon that makes no sense to them or show shock if they confess something they are sorry for now.
We are wise when we say only what the Holy Spirit tells us and leave the person wanting more.
All of us are called to share Jesus with others, and let us back it up with a life of faith and love. Like St. Francis said, “Preach the gospel at all times and when necessary, use words.”
Challenge for today: Listen to the Holy Spirit and share the Lord in some way today. 
Blessings on your day and prayers and knowledge of  how much you are loved, Judy
 
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