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 137 of 171)

September 16, 2021

September 16, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are enjoying this beautiful day! This morning I studied, started some packing, and went downstairs for donuts. This afternoon we have Bible study and tonight I have our women’s Bible study at church. 
Lily is doing well but of course dealing with pain. Tomorrow they are scheduled to fly back to home to Kansas so getting on the plane etc may be challenging. So grateful for all your prayers. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
A real test of our love for God is seen in our obedience. When He speaks, do we listen and then obey or do we go about our life simply doing our own thing? Lately as I have been reading the Word, I see how many times it says God spoke and then the person did what He said. Before Jesus departed from this earth, He said to his followers in John 14:21 (The Message), “The person who knows my commandments and keeps them, that’s who loves me. And the person who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and make myself plain to him.” Not loving means not keeping His word. We see this in children who refuse to obey and it only gets them into big messes. 
This morning I was reading in I Samuel 15 when Samuel tells Saul that when he goes to war against Amalek, they were to totally destroy the people and all of their cattle and sheep, donkeys and camels. Nothing was to remain as they were under a holy ban. But Saul does not completely obey and saves King Agag along with some of the choice sheep and cattle. God reveals to Samuel what Saul has done and how sorry He is that he is king. When Samuel heads to see Saul, he hears the bleating of the sheep and mooing of the cattle. Saul makes excuses and says he is going to use the animals in sacrifice to God. God does not want partial obedience but total. Because of Saul’s disobedience the kingdom was torn away from him and was later given to David. Samuel tells Saul that God says what He means and means what He says. 
Our disobedience can be very costly! When it says in the Word that something we want to do is wrong, we don’t have to question it, it is not right! But sometimes we are not sure what God is saying and we need to listen carefully and then do whatever He says. Even something good but delayed and out of God’s timing, can become something negative. We need to obey now as His ways are so much higher than our ways. What if Noah had waited until it started to rain before he began to build the ark? Let us do all that the Lord calls us to do and do it in His timing with hearts of love.
Challenge for today: Please the Lord with your obedience even in the smallest things today.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

 

September 15, 2021

September 15, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you have a peace filled day. I just made some egg dishes and soon going to my exercise class. This afternoon I am going to crafts and will be making cards. Tonight is Bible Study so is a  day of blessings. 
Please continue to pray for Lily’s recovery as she is in a lot of pain today.  
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Music is so good for our souls and has many health benefits too.  Music is often mentioned in the Bible like David who composed songs when he was tending sheep; or Deborah, or Moses and Miriam who sang songs of praise to God after a victory.
Paul wrote in Eph. 5: 18b-19 (ESV), “Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart.”
Brian Vaszily wrote about the benefits music has on us and the power it has to influence our brain and body. Music is actually known to boost our memory and learning, and those who listen while they are working can outperform others doing the same tasks.
Scripture set to music helps us in memorizing passages and gives us better recall. I’m sure our kids can remember scriptures we learned as a family that we sang to music during family times.
Music also has a way of lifting our spirit and lowering our stress levels. If we play a praise song, it can take us from a tense mood to one of peacefulness, helping us feel less anxious and reduce depression symptoms.
Brian writes that music stimulates creativity and can inspire us for creative things like art and writing
Music is also good for our hearts as it lowers our blood pressure and our heart rate and helps in the recovery time from a heart attack. Of course, it also depends on what kind of music we are listening to!
Music is also known to give us energy and help our exercise performance. At my exercise class, upbeat music is always played and seems to boosts our energy. I find it even more energizing when I am doing it to Christian music. I use to do that with a rebounder and at times I felt like I could touch the ceiling!
Music can also help reduce pain and it tends to help decrease chronic or acute pain, like after surgery.
Lastly music can help improve our sleep, both the quality and just falling asleep. You might find that if you put music on at bedtime, you may get to sleep faster and sleep better.
Music is good for the body, soul and spirit so let us make music in our hearts to the Lord.
Challenge for today: Listen to praise music while you get ready for work and see if your day goes better! 
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

September 14, 2021

September 14, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
May you wake to a fresh awareness of the Lord today.  I hope to get downstairs this morning for coffee and choc covered raspberries and this afternoon we are having friends over for coffee. Our granddaughter’s hip surgery is at noon today so our thoughts are on Lily and thank you also for your prayers. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Doesn’t it feel peaceful when we have mental space and can spend some time in silence with the Lord? Sometimes our minds get so cluttered as we try to figure everything out that we can hardly hear what God has to say to us.  Francis Fenelon, a French Bishop, writes to a friend who desires spiritual direction. He addresses his cluttered mind and tells him that there is so much filling his head that there is not room for God to speak. He, more or less, tells him to get out of his head and stop trying to figure God out but instead to be humble and open to hear Him speak.  It is good at times for our body to fast to clear things out, but our mind needs to do that as well. Our confidence is not to be in our intellect but rather in God who has so many truths to teach us. Fenelon warns his directee to beware of those who put their confidence in their great minds, for they can talk endlessly around things but none of it matters. In fact, it leads to nowhere and even though they keep consuming so much, like Solomon said, it becomes vanity. 
I remember one time when Al and I visited a church around Lenten time, and the preacher went on and on, building his sermon on false assumptions and no longer truth. At first, I wondered if I was actually hearing right, as he said the cross was not really about Jesus at all but more about us etc. He seemed to go around in circles. Another pastor we knew did not believe the resurrection happened and so he told his congregation about the story of the resurrection. How sad! Fenelon wrote that even when we study, we should think of it as going to the market and getting only what we need on that trip. He said, “We can know truth only in proportion to how much we love.” When love is not present, it is just dead facts and not really knowledge at all. We are to use our minds prayerfully for as we come to know the Lord, we have the perfect balance between truth and love. That requires us to be humble like children, with open simple minds to receive. Let us not get puffed up in our human intellect but remember what Jesus said in Matt. 11:25 (God’s Word), “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for hiding these things from wise and intelligent people and revealing them to little children.”
Challenge for today: Ask the Lord to give you an uncluttered mind and simple childlike faith so He can teach you more.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

 

September 13, 2021

September 13, 2021 / / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,Hope you had a beautiful weekend! Such gorgeous perfect weather. This morning i have been doing food prep but won’t get to my exercise class as I have a long dental appointment in Remer.  I would ask for prayer for our granddaughter Lily who is in Vail now and will have her hip surgery tomorrow. There are two Doctors doing it and join us in prayers that she may play soccer again.  Devotions from Judy’s heartNearly every day we meet a couple on the Paul Bunyan trail who have become dear friends. We met not by chance but God’s design, and most every day we walk nearly a mile and a half together. We call our time of sharing the Lord together, Church on the Paul Bunyan trail. We go away blessed by the time of fellowship together as we seek to hear what God is saying to each of us.Since our first meeting, David has been writing poetry that God has been using to bring healing and comfort to his soul, for he has experienced several big losses. He describes it much like a storm he has been going through and Jesus has become his shelter to weather it.Each day we walk by a place on the trail so full of color. There are cattails surrounded by stunning bright yellow prairie sunflowers in full bloom. David took out his camera to capture the flowers but realized that his shadow was in the center of the picture. Nothing seemed to work to remove his shadow, not even the zoom on his camera. There were no other options as he did not have the power to move the sun. But God spoke to him with the scripture from John 3:30, (ESV), “He must increase, but I must decrease.” At first, he was not sure how this could be done but realized it happens as we make Jesus our Lord and give Him control over our life. He gets first place and we are His servants to do His will, not ours. Then our self begins to decrease and Jesus increases in our lives and others are drawn to the Light.Isn’t that what needs to happen to all of us, that we put Jesus first in our lives and give Him the control? Then we won’t be the shadow in the picture but the focus will be centered on the Lord. We will also find that we have more joy for when we no longer live for ourselves but for Him, life becomes so rich. The happiest people are not those who are self-seeking and put themselves first, but rather those who are eager to serve the Lord and others. Let us get ourselves out of the way, that the beauty of the Jesus will be seen.Challenge for today: When you sense you are casting a shadow, get self out of the way!Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy

September 11, 2021

September 11, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
May you be filled with God’s peace this day. This morning I cleaned our apartment and did food prep etc. Our grandson Joe entered the Marines today and flew out this morning. Our prayers go with him. Our granddaugther Lily, along with her parents, will be flying to Vail tomorrow to get ready for her hip surgery on Tuesday. Do pray for the two doctors doing the surgery and that she may play soccer again.
Devotions from Judy’ s heart
Today I chose to put aside my usual writing since it is the 20th anniversary day of 911, a day that none of us will forget. I’m sure you remember exactly where you were, as I do, when we got the news of the attack on our nation. Last night I came across 5 prayers that Cally Logan, an author and history teacher from Richmond, Virginia, wrote. She prayed for the families of the fallen, prayers for the survivors, prayers for the memory of those lost, and also prayers for our nation and for our world. I would like to share her prayer for our nation as follows.
“Father God,
We pray for our nation as a whole this September 11th. September 12th was met with unity and grief that we all shared. It is still something we share as a people; it is a reminder of how fragile and precious life truly is. Lord, we pray for peace and unity in our nation today. We pray that Your Spirit would pour out among us and that through and by You, there would be a common heart, a common goal, and a common desire for peace and kindness towards one another. Let us not lose sight of what is important in this life and help us love one another as You truly love us. Lord, we pray for our leaders today. We pray that You would give them wisdom and discernment as they tackle events and dilemmas as they unfold. We pray that You would inspire this nation to be a nation under God, one that seeks to glorify, honor, and praise You. This is our heart’s desire, Lord. We desire to be Your people, and we strive to have peace. This nation has so much to offer, and Lord, we pray for our nation to truly be a City on a Hill.
In Jesus Name,
 Amen”
She concluded with these words:“Years have passed, but the events of September 11th will not be forgotten. As the anniversary comes about, let us take on the heart posture of peace towards our fellow man, and let us come before the Lord God Almighty to pray for our neighbors, our nation, and our world. Ask the Lord this day how you can honor those who lost their lives and how you can serve the Kingdom of God here on earth. Let us be ever mindful to pray for peace and to boldly come before the Lord to invite His Spirit to be among us.”
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

 

September 10, 2021

September 10, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Happy weekend to you! Hope you are enjoying these beautiful sunny days. This morning I made egg dishes, a veggie stir fry etc and went to the Dollar Store. Shortly, I am going to get  my hair cut in the building connected to ours. So convenient!
Devotions from Judy’s heart
God loves, loves, loves cheerful givers and considers our attitude on giving more important than the amount. I was reading today from II Cor. 9:7 (Amplified), “Let each one (give) as he has made up his own mind and purposed in his heart, not reluctantly or sorrowfully or under compulsion, for God loves (He takes pleasure in, prizes above other things, and is unwilling to abandon or to do without) a cheerful (joyous, ‘prompt to do it’) giver (whose heart is in the giving).”
God wants joyful giving and not the left-overs but the first fruits. Sometimes we may be reluctant to give as we are concerned that we will have enough left over for ourselves; but we will find that when we give to the Lord, He supplies our needs in surprising ways. The Message translation says in verse 7, ‘God loves it when the giver delights in the giving.”
In my devotions today I was reading about King David when he spoke to the whole assembly of Israel. (I Chron 29) He blessed the Lord before the congregation and was full of praise as he gave over his personal fortune of gold and silver for the temple that his son Solomon was to build. He gave 113 tons of gold and 214 tons of silver etc. and then asked the people if they were also willing to also give. From his personal example, they followed and gave willingly and freely of gold, silver, bronze, iron and jewels. David was exuberant at their giving and acknowledged that all that is given to the Lord comes from Him; we are simply giving back what we have already been given by His generous hand. He goes on to acknowledge that God isn’t so concerned about the actual gifts, but rather that the people were giving of themselves from their hearts and with much joy. He prays that this generous spirit will be kept alive forever in the people’s hearts. Then the people began to worship and feast before the Lord with exuberant joy. Let us be like those who gave and celebrated God’s greatness, that the Lord may delight in us also.
Challenge for today: Thank the Lord that all you have has come from Him and then joyfully give.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

September 9, 2021

September 9, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear One,
Hope your day is full of sunshine. The trees are starting to turn their autumn colors and we see changes on the trail each day. This morning I made Al’s cookies and went down for Donuts. This afternoon we have the Bible Study here and then we need to do some errands afterwards.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
When we are in God’s will the outcome will be always be right. It may not be as we imagined or desired but according to God’s perfect will. I read recently of John Milton, the great orator and politician who wrote Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained. He describes his crisis of faith in his poems, for he felt trapped by his total blind condition when he was only 43 years old.
In Paradise Lost he writes that his blindness will make his gifts and talents useless but yet he submits to God.  He wrote the first poem when he was only 23 and felt his life was empty and that he had accomplished so little. But half way through the poem he wrote that God gave him grace to submit to His will and he senses that everything will turn out as God planned.
In Paradise Regained he writes how he wants to do something great for God but was threatened by blindness. However, he goes on to say he learned through it all that God doesn’t need our work and gifts. Our value is not by what we do but who we are.
Maybe we can identify with Milton when our life dreams are trashed. Something or someone is taken from us and we feel robbed and confused. But God has the grand design and we are to submit to Him and accept His will. Milton goes on to say, “They also serve who only stand and wait.”
Milton overcame great handicaps to accomplish the work God gave him. He didn’t see God’s purpose right away but he trusted and submitted to it.
Psalm 130 (Message translation) reminds me of what Milton was saying, “Help, God-the bottom has fallen out of my life! Master, hear my cry for help! Listen Hard! Open your ears! …I pray to God—my life a prayer—and wait for what he’ll say and do. My life’s on the line before God, my Lord, waiting and watching till morning, waiting and watching till morning.”
We may not see the picture at first of what God is doing in our life, but our part is to submit to His will and wait.
Challenge for today: When tempted to resent your present circumstances, submit to His will, and wait, while praying.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

September 8, 2021

September 8, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are having a great day! The days are cooler now and so enjoyable. Al had Men’s group this morning and I went to Aldi’s and to Exercise class. Next is Craft time and then tonight we have Bible Study at church. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Do we use the opportunities God sends to share Him with others or do we keep the Good News to ourselves? I just finished reading the book of Acts and read of Paul’s missionary journeys, noticing how he used every chance he got to witness of the Lord. It didn’t matter if he was in prison, on a ship, making tents, or walking from one city to another, he shared the gospel with all who would listen. While Paul was under house arrest in Rome, he also wrote books such as Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians and Philemon. He didn’t wait until the circumstances were great, but preached every chance he got. One thing that struck me about his time in Rome was how large numbers of people came to him and he tried to convince them about Jesus. It says in Acts 28:24 (NRSV), Some were convinced by what he said, while others refused to believe.” He didn’t take it personally when some people didn’t respond to his message; he didn’t feel condemnation that he might have blown it or thought if he only had said it a different way, the outcome would have been different. No, he was faithful to share the message but left the results up to the Lord. He just kept sharing the gospel and had an open door to all who came to him for the two years he was under house arrest.
Paul is a good example to us of being faithful to spread the Good News under whatever circumstances we find ourselves. We may be surprised by those that are open to hear and respond and others who have closed their hearts and refuse to listen. Paul experienced rejection and hostility and persecution just as we may, as well; but he didn’t give up nor let the enemy win. Sometimes it means years of praying for someone before they might listen to us, and we might not see the answer even in our life time. But never, never, give up on anyone for the Lord never gave up on us!
Challenge for today: Ask the Lord to lead you to share with someone He puts in your path. 
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

 

September 7, 2021

September 7, 2021 / / 0 Comments
 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
More than ever before, the Church needs to stand together in unity. Each morning, as Al and I pray together, I pray for the Body of Christ to stand in oneness and to stand strong. Unity is important and there is power when we are united in Him. When we are apart, we are sitting ducks for the enemy.
In my devotional time, I am reading what Paul had to say to the Corinthian church to help them walk in love and unity. Corinth was a wealthy city on the sea and people came from so many diverse backgrounds. He writes on the importance of unity and how to in walk in love. Paul says in I Cor. 1;10 (NRSV), “Now I appeal to you, brother and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose.” He calls them brothers and sisters, and that’s what we are when we belong to God’s family, for we share the same Father. Of course, that doesn’t mean that we all think alike and even if we have different viewpoints, it doesn’t mean we cannot have harmony. When we agree on the important matters like salvation, the Trinity, and the Word, we can live in oneness even if we don’t agree politically or on social issues. Of course, the enemy loves to divide Christians from one another, as he knows we are stronger when we united together in oneness.
In Paul’s day, quarreling broke out between them as to those who identified with Paul, and those who favored Apollos or Cephas. Paul said that should not be, for the Lord unites us and we should be considerate of one another, cultivating a life in common. We should not take sides!
When we start arguing, and pressing our point of view, we divide the Body of Christ. The Holy Spirit is very capable of speaking to each member of the Body, and sometimes we ruin what He is doing by being pushy with our agenda.
Yes, we have worship styles that differ as well as, our attraction for different kinds of preaching and teaching, but it should not divide us. We all belong to Christ and our unity runs deep!
Let us not get caught up in splintering into different groups but be unified, strong in spirit, careful to maintain the unity.
Challenge for today: The next time you notice differing views as you talk with a fellow believer, hold your view and ask questions about his. 
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy
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