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 136 of 165)

July 14, 2021

July 14, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are having a good day. This morning I did food prep, made egg dishes etc. and went to Aldi’s and to my exercise class. I’m going to creative crafts now and Bible study tonight. Ann may stop by this afternoon on her way back from the cities.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Our lives are so blessed and full when we walk through life with the Lord and in the light of His presence. Today as I was having devotions, it seems like all the passages I turned to had to do with listening to His voice and following in obedience. Our need is to have open ears to listen if we are to know what His will is before we can obey. But sometimes we don’t really want to hear as we think the Lord will ask something too hard of us or we simply want our own way. We are warned not to turn a deaf ear but to listen. In Heb. 3:7-8a & 12 (NRSV) it says, “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, ‘Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion…Take care, brothers and sisters, that none of you may have an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.” God wants our obedience and not hardened hearts.
 I read that Henry Nouwen felt that “the noise of our lives made us deaf, and unable to hear when we are called, or from which direction.” He felt our spiritual life was a pilgrimage from deafness to listening. Sometimes in our busyness we simply don’t dial down to be quiet enough to hear His voice and to know what the Lord asks of us.  We also need to ask ourselves, do we really want to know what He is saying or do we turn a deaf ear because we are so busy doing our own thing and want our own way. I think we all struggle even as we pray, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Maybe we think what God is asking of us is impossible but we must remember we have God’s power and it is not dependent on us. Mary was asked an impossible thing when the angel appeared to her and yet she didn’t question but simply said, “Be it according to your will!” We can trust God and He will give us what we need at the time we need to accomplish His will. Let us not listen to the negative talk the enemy sends but open our hearts and claim God’s promises. He will take care of the rest.
Challenge for today: Pray for hearing ears and an open heart that is willing to go God’s way.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

July 13, 2021

July 13, 2021 / / 0 Comments
 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Aren’t we glad that the Lord doesn’t dismiss us because we make mistakes? All of us must admit we have made many of them and there are times I am reminded of something I did that was really not good. How I wish I had a chance to do it over and choose the right way, the right words, the right attitude. There are times we may be given a second chance when we have blown it, and John Mark was one of them. He was a quitter and didn’t follow through but fortunately he learned through his mistake. I was reading from the book of Acts how Paul and Barnabas took John Mark with them on their first missionary journey. John Mark didn’t last long and at their second stop, he left them and returned to Jerusalem. Scripture doesn’t say why he left and we could wonder if he got homesick or ill or wasn’t ready for such a big commitment. We don’t know. Barnabas was his uncle and later suggested they take him on another missionary journey but Paul flatly refused and called him a deserter who lacked courage. Mark ended up going with Barnabas who encouraged him and later on he also again joined Paul who came to respect him. That tells us John Mark learned valuable lessons and didn’t dwell on his past.
 What about us? Do we think we have committed so many blunders that God can’t use us and we have to be put on the shelf? Barnabas evidently didn’t think that about John Mark who later wrote the book of Mark. Scripture is full of other examples of those who flubbed up big and yet they learned from their mistakes and went on to accomplish great things for His kingdom. But God tells us in Isaiah 41:13 (The Message), “Don’t panic. I’m with you. There’s no need to fear for I’m your God. I’ll give you strength I’ll help you. I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you.” And even when we make mistakes and fail, He will forgive us and help us up again.
Challenge for today: The next time you make a mistake, ask forgiveness and then get up and get going.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

 

 

 

July 12, 2021

July 12, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you had an enjoyable weekend. Yesterday we had dinner with a guy who was in our first youth group and heard the story of his faith walk. What a blessing of God’s faithfulness. This morning I went to my exercise class and also  made blueberry Crumble and blueberry muffins that went in the freezer for upcoming guests. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Do we want to grow, grow, grow spiritually? We might think it be great if we latched on to a ten-step plan of how to become spiritually mature overnight, but of course that doesn’t exist. We don’t all grow in the same way and at the same rate. I remember when I was growing up, and reading plans of the way we should pray or how we should conduct our quiet time, and I thought I had to do it that exact way; but it doesn’t work the same way for everyone. Some like to pray as they walk and others in their favorite chair in a quiet place etc.  The way we relate to the Lord can also change in the seasons of life. When we lived on the lake, I took long prayer walks alone but now I walk with Al on the Paul Bunyan trail that others use, and my time with the Lord is more hidden in my place of study.  Some keep prayer journals and others do not. Some memorize whole chapters of the Bible and others do only a verse at a time. It is freeing to just let the Holy Spirit direct each of us and the bottom line is that maturity is found in a person and not a plan. 
 As the Lord transforms us into being more like Him, it takes time and our part is not to take charge and figure it all out but to follow how He leads us and obey. In fact, when we keep track of how well we measure up, it is most likely for the wrong reason as we may want to look more spiritual to others, and pride sets in. Our focus is to be on the Lord and he treats us all as individuals and knows us better than we know ourselves. Love has many facets and ways of expressing, and it is not the same from day to day or the same as for others. That makes our relationship with Him, ever new and exciting and satisfying. We never know what each day or moment will hold; but we know that if we don’t seek to control but let Him lead, life in Him is fresh and alive and we grow in our love for Him. He is all that we have been searching for and growth will naturally take place. Let us live today in Him and enjoy the pleasure of His presence.  Then we will put to practice Peter’s words as he  closed his second letter that he wrote to followers of Jesus, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”  (II  Peter 3:18 ESV)
Challenge for today: Take time to enjoy the Lord in a new way today.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

 

July 10, 2021

July 10, 2021 / / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,
Happy weekend! Hope you are enjoying these beautiful sunny days. This morning I made Al’s favorite cookies and cleaned the apt. Tomorrow we have a former parishioner from our church in Edina coming for dinner. We last saw him when he was in high school which was a very long time ago!
Devotions from Judy’s heart
How bold are we for the Lord? Do we hide our faith when we think that others may disapprove and fear they will make fun of us? God wants to give us courage and boldness to stand up for what we know to be true and share Him with others. Some will try to shame us and one friend recently said that even her interim pastor said to her, “You surely don’t believe everything you read in the Bible, do you?!” How sad! Billy Graham wrote that there is more evidence that Jesus rose from the dead than there is that Julius Caesar ever lived, or that Alexander the Great died at 33. Isn’t it strange historians will accept thousands of facts for which they can produce only shreds of evidence but doubt the overwhelming evidence of Jesus resurrection?
I have been reading in Acts of how Peter and John, when ordered not to speak or teach about Jesus responded by saying they couldn’t help but speak about what they had seen and heard. After being arrested for preaching and teaching about Jesus, they didn’t have a pity party and complain that they were being persecuted for doing what Jesus commanded them to do when he left this earth. No, when released, they went to their friends and told them what happened to them, and they all just started praising the Lord. They told the Lord their situation and asked for His help to deal with it, but not that they would be removed from it. Does that sound like us? Or do we say, “Help Lord, get me out of this hard situation quick!” I must confess I must have prayed something similar when going through a hard time in one of our churches. Sometimes He does remove us but other times He leaves us in the situation to fulfill His purposes. But either way, He does promise to give us courage and boldness to get through whatever the problem is and will help us grow through it.
Peter and John went on to pray in Acts 4:29-30 (NRSV), “And now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out our hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” The result was they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke with boldness. Let us also ask the Holy Spirit to give us holy boldness and use the opportunities He sends our way to share Him, no matter the cost.
Challenge for today: Ask for courage and boldness like that of the disciples, and share Jesus.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

July 9, 2021

July 9, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Happy weekend to you! It’s another gorgeous sunny day. I was in the kitchen much of morning as I made a couple Mexican pies, cake, pork chops with apples on top, etc. We are soon off to Costco and maybe Culver’s before our walk this afternoon.Emoji
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Our days get filled with many activities, some trivial and some very important, but something we should always take time for is prayer. When we make room in our day to withdraw and meet with the Lord, we are giving to Him what is most important and precious. In our busyness, it is often a challenge and it may mean sacrificing other things that are less important, like time on social media. Some people say they don’t regularly practice prayer as they don’t get anything out of it. But as I read Michael Casey’s chapter on the grace of prayer he said, “Who says you have to get anything out of it. It is far more important that you put something into it.” It is an act of self-giving of our time to the One who gives us everything. It is like a mirror of where we are in our walk with the Lord.  We become present to the Lord and become more mindful of Him in a deeper way. It says in Psalm 46:10 (ESV), “Be still and know that I am God.”
When we make time in our daily routine, everything else seems to fall into place. I like the early morning, before dawn, when I am relaxed and refreshed but I know that it may not work well for you. The important thing is to build it somewhere into our schedule and make it a priority. It reminds me of my time with my husband during the day. We each have a separate place to study and write, and we have short casual conversations with each other throughout the day, which would compare to prayer darts sent up. But when we go for an hour walk together each afternoon, we share our hearts in depth and often results in spiritual direction for one or both of us. I think that compares to more like our quiet time with the Lord when we go below the surface and enjoy His presence in a deeper way. It’s good to have both, but we settle for so much less when we just send up short dart prayers and neglect a quiet time of attentiveness with Him. Jesus found time in His busy day with multitudes of people desiring His attention, and yet He went apart before dawn to talk to His Heavenly Father.
May we let go of everything that occupies our hearts and tries to vie for our attention and open ourselves up to God.
Challenge for today: Spend some time alone with God and find a comfortable place to do it on a regular basis. 
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

July 7, 2021

July 7, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are having a blessed day. Yesterday we  had a day of good rain  and it was so needed. This morning I made egg dishes and went to Aldi’s and my exercise class. This afternoon is crafts and tonight we have Bible Study at church.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Isn’t it nice to have good friends that we know us so well that we can just talk freely and not be concerned about weighing our words? They know our hearts and are reading them, more than the exact words we speak. I learned something new while reading Michael Casey’s take on Mark 11:23 that when it says, “Amen I say to you that if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and cast into the sea’ and does not judge in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, so it will be for him.” The meaning is for us not to spend too much time weighing up the possibilities before making the request. Just say it! We don’t have to filter our prayers but simply be real and speak to the Lord what is on our hearts. We are told to boldly come before His throne of grace and come just as we are. No sense in saying fake prayers that sound beautiful but are not spoken in truth but in pretense. We don’t have to think about how our prayers and petitions sound to others or if we follow some formula given, but just speak to the Lord from our hearts. When Al and I were at Bible School in California, there was a new student who had recently come to the Lord. The stories of the Bible we had heard since we were kids in Sunday school were new to her, and she prayed with her heart fully engaged. She was excited over the miracles, and talked to the Lord like she was sitting right next to Him and so personally. My own heart was convicted by listening to her prayers. We should never let our relationship with the Lord get trite and old hat, but new and real. We are invited to pray for the impossible, and to keep on praying and not lose heart.  We can let God know all our needs and leave the results up to Him. We are completely dependent on the One who can read our hearts, listens to us and answers, and loves us beyond measure.
Challenge for today: The next time you feel angry or out of sorts, be real and pray without filtering your words. knowing that God is reading your heart.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

July 6, 2021

July 6, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Devotions from Judy’s heart
In my younger years, I was very afraid of storms since we were often at the lake when they occurred and we had no safe place to go for cover. Our cabin was without a foundation and rested on pillars. We were in some bad storms and I wondered at times if the cabin would be blown away. But later in life the Lord healed me and one day I realized I didn’t get that awful feeling in the pit if my stomach anymore when the sky grew black. I felt peace. That could only be Him! 
Today there is a bigger storm on our horizon as the world around us is in chaos and people are shaken. With the pandemic, civil unrest, riots, wars, famines, earthquakes and floods, people are despairing and many even taking their own lives. So, what is the Lord saying to the church and how can we make a difference? I was reading an article by Lavinia Spirito who writes about the Signs of the Times. She said the church has become complacent and accommodating the world, and pastors are burning out and preaching what itching ears want to hear rather than the truth. Sin is no longer called sin and truth is becoming relative. Yes, the storm is coming and is maybe already here, and we need to be prepared, vigilant, and ready. As Paul said in I Thess. 5:6 (ESV), “So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.” There will be coming persecution and purification and those who know the Lord will have to take a stand. We need to stay awake and have our lamp lit with extra oil (oil being a symbol of our relationship with Him), for the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night, and judgment is coming. We are to shake off our slumber and complacency. We are also to seek out like minded believers and stand together. We are first of all children of God and joined by His love and not political parties. We were not meant to go alone but join others in the Body of Christ. Our mission to be like “agents behind enemy lines”, sharing the Lord and helping others. We are to ask the Lord what He is saying to us and to let go of those things that stand in our way of obedience to Him. It will be more important than ever to be reading the Word and eating spiritual food. Spirito warns us to watch our words, to put on the armor of God daily and pray much. The church will become smaller as we face hard times and go through the sifting process, but what will remain will be the Church of faith that can’t be shaken.
Challenge for today: Takes steps to prepare for the storm and strengthen your faith so you will be able to stand together with other in Christ. 
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

 

 

July 5, 2021

July 5, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you have been enjoying the Holiday. We had a wonderful time at the lake over the weekend, and God worked the timing of everything so perfectly. We also enjoyed going to the Lighthouse yesterday and 7 of us went from family. This morning I did some catch up and made 2 spaghetti pies and a meat loaf etc. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
When we returned home yesterday, from our time with family at the lake, it was with full hearts.  I felt content and blessed and thankful for all that the Lord has given me in my life. So many relatives gathered together to swim, sauna, coffee, picnic, share, pray, laugh and love. Al and I stayed at our family’s comfortable cabin we call the Silver Chateau that is so near the water’s edge and best of all, with indoor plumbing. We slept in a little later in the morning, awakening to the sound of birds singing their wake-up song. We had time to get to know my nephew that we had never met before, and for most of the family never knew existed. He was welcomed in with open arms and hearts by all. We had times of deep sharing and prayer and other times of hilarious laughter as we reminisced. All of this was a gift of God’s grace and we must not take for granted the blessings of each day.
The apostle Paul was a grateful person and thanked the Lord for his numerous blessings of salvation, of the faith of his followers, of strength given him to preach the Good News, of the love of the saints etc.; but he was also thankful for the trials and persecution he received that God used to further the gospel and gave him grace to endure. In his final word to the Thessalonians when he writes to them in I Thess. 5:16-18 (ESV) he says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 
It is easier to rejoice and give thanks in the setting I experienced over the weekend, but we are also to give thanks even in adverse circumstances. When we go through a hard time, we aren’t necessarily aware at the time of the good God plans to work through our circumstance, but He always deserves our thanks for who He is. With each and every trial we face, He promises to walk with us through it and  gives us strength and endurance. So let us be people of faith who give thanks in all circumstances from hearts that over flow with gratitude.
Challenge for today: Spend some time just thanking the Lord for your present circumstances. 
Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy

 

July 3, 2021

July 3, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are enjoying this holiday weekend and looks to be a nice sunny day today, but maybe not tomorrow. We are soon leaving for the cabin and stopping on the way to see a friend. My niece and her daughter are coming for coffee when we arrive and then brother and wife are coming for lunch. I am quite sure this afternoon will be swimming and then a picnic supper at the Point. We plan to stay overnight and go to The Lighthouse on Sunday. A full weekend! 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Let Freedom reign! As we approach Independence Day celebration, we are reminded of our freedom won, not just of our nation, but of the freedom we have in the Lord. Paul says in Gal. 5:1 (God’s Word), “Christ has freed us so that we may enjoy the benefits of freedom. Therefore, be firm in this freedom and don’t become slaves again.” There was a tremendous cost to Jesus for our freedom but it is not to be spent on ourselves to do whatever we feel like it, whatever makes us happy at the time, but as he goes on to say in verse 13, “You were indeed called to be free, brothers and sisters. Don’t turn this freedom into an excuse for your corrupt nature to express itself. Rather, serve each other through love.” We were meant to love others and to find ways to serve them and win them to the Lord. The Message translation says that is how freedom grows. Paul further goes on to explain that we need to live our lives freely and motivated by the Spirit. We are not meant to live for ourselves but as the Holy Spirit directs us. Then life becomes so liberating and exciting as we let go of self-interest and live for God and to serve others.
If you think about it, aren’t the happiest people you know unselfish and looking for ways to help others? One friend from a church where Al was interim for a while, e-mails me of her joy as she works with the youth. When we were at the church and she was asked to give the children’s sermons, she responded by saying how blessed she was that she had that privilege. (I must admit I was relieved that I would not have to do it!)  She was prepared each Sunday and since then she has become in charge of Sunday school, youth group, VBS etc. She doesn’t consider it a chore but a delight and she gives of herself tirelessly and enthusiastically. It is not “I have to” as I sometimes feel but it is “I get to do this!” What an example she is to me and I’m sure to others too. 
 When we listen to the Holy Spirit and follow with obedience, there is wonderful fruit that is produced in our lives like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. May we all experience the wonderful freedom of going God’s way.
Challenge for today: Set aside your will and ask the Lord to help you freely serve others in love.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and Love, Judy

 

July 2, 2021

July 2, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Happy Holiday weekend! Hope you have a wonderful one. We will be going to the cabin tomorrow along with lots of relatives, some of whom are already up at the lake. Looking forward to that time together. This morning I made bars, wrote letters,  cleaned our apt. and did some packing.  
Devotions from Judy’s heart
As we read scripture we are often challenged to change, to strip off some old attitude and behavior, and to become more like Christ. Jesus had a way of calling our attention to honest faith in ordinary people and showing us the contrast of our own hypocrisy like that of the Pharisees. We remember the woman who touched the hem of his robe in faith that she would be healed. Or the “sinful woman” who poured perfume over Jesus’ feet in love etc. Jesus had just told his disciples about the dangers of the Pharisees whose faith focused on the rules and outward behavior. He and His disciples then sat by the temple treasure and observed as a poor woman put in her offering of the two smallest coins. (The treasury was the place where donations were made for the upkeep of the temple) I wonder if the disciples thought, why this woman even bothered with such a small amount. Pastor Kyle Norman writes how Jesus’ comment must have surprised his disciples when He said in Luke 21:3-4 (ESV), “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” The widow didn’t call attention to herself but silently put in her offering with a heart longing for God. The Pharisees on the other hand, wanted to put on a big display so others would think well of him. 
Kyle mentions how big displays, even in times of worship today can mask our self-righteousness. We want to pray a perfect prayer, or praise from others more than from the Lord. Jesus wasn’t saying we all need to give away everything we own but wants us to notice that the widow was in essence, casting herself on the grace of God. It was not the amount of the gift but her heart focus. We can give thousands of dollars to the Lord but if it is disconnected from our faith, it does little good. Whether we give our time, money or talents it should represent the giving of ourselves and is a personal investment. The Lord looks at our heart. After seeing her offering, the disciples remark about the magnificent stones of the temple. The widow’s offering would be used for its ongoing glory but Kyle cautions us about having grandiose worship sites when they come at the expense of helping the poor. It’s not about focusing on the beauty of the church but also on providing for those outside.
 Hopefully this portion of scripture will cause us some self-reflection as we ask ourselves if we are more concerned about our own glory than His. Or do we think we are blessed in proportion to our worldly greatness? May we become more aware of our spirit in giving than in the dollar amount!
Challenge for today: Give to the Lord from a humble heart of faith and love.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy
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