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 99 of 164)

September 17, 2022

September 17, 2022 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are having a great weekend. I made 2 Mexican pies this morning and cleaned the apartment etc. We have been enjoying this mild weather for our walks and know that it won’t be long until we will be bundling up. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
   How well do we love? How do we grow in love for God and others?  As I have been reading Todd Hall’s book, The Connected Life, I ask myself those questions. If we are truly loving it means we’re pursuing the good of others and want to connect with them; we desire what is best for them and delight in their well-being.
   That doesn’t mean we give others everything they want but rather what it is in their best interest to have them flourish. We want to give them what they need and is good for them so they may grow and heal and be understood. 
   Todd describes the four loves found in Scripture—Philia (friendship love), Agape love (Divine love), Eros (romantic love), and storge (parental or attachment love). What kind of love we show to another has to do with the type of relationship we have with them and the needs that they have. Each relationship and situation require wisdom to know how to love well and reflect God’s love to them.
   There may be tension between loving those closest to us plus loving those in the broader world. We can get caught up serving the poor but neglecting our own families. When we know the Lord, our love is expressed for the glory of God and we have the power of the Holy Spirit to love even those not naturally easy to love.
   Let us not forget though that we also need to receive love, especially when we are vulnerable and wounded. His love is transforming and we need to open our hearts to receive or we don’t have it to give away. We can also receive by engaging in spiritual practices that may help us open up, grow, and bring about transformation. Hall writes of the importance of reading scripture, practicing mindful awareness, silence etc. so we may draw closer in intimacy with God. As James says In James 4:8 (ESV), Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”  
   Challenge for today: Do a new spiritual practice and open yourself up to receive how God wants to bless you. 
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

September 16, 2022

September 16, 2022 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
  Hope you have a wonderful weekend! We woke up to rain again and everything looks very fresh out my window. I got chocolate raspberries made as I was all out of them to share. Am working in my closet and finding clothes for 3 weddings coming up! 
Devotions from Judy’s heart   
Do we make room in our hearts each day for the Lord or is He pushed to the side by our prideful attitudes and sinful behavior?
   I woke up early this morning thinking of an old song that I haven’t heard sung for a long time by Billy Gaines, reminding me there is never a lack of room at the foot of the cross The song goes: “The cross on which Jesus died/ Is a shelter in which we can hide/ And its grace so free is sufficient for me/ And deep is its fountain as wide as the sea/ There’s room at the cross for you/ There’s room at the cross for you/ Though millions have come, there’s still room for one/ Yes there’s room at the cross for you.”
  A repentant heart is spacious and open and really a gift from God. It brings incredible peace; but a heart that is full of pride and denies sin, making excuses and blaming others, is a closed heart that keeps the Lord at a distance. It is not a peaceful way to live and will weigh us down.
   How do we keep an open heart? We must hate sin and be willing to humbly come to the cross and confess our sins and be willing to change. As it says in Romans 8:6-7 (Message), “Those who trust God’s action in them find that God’s Spirit is in them—living and breathing God! Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God.”
   What a difference when we are willing to deal with our sin, for God’s grace is poured out on us and there is more room for Him. But if we hold on to our sinful ways, we won’t experience that spacious free life of peace in the Lord.
    It is because the Lord loves us so much that he shows us our sin so that we can repent and have room in our hearts for Him to fill.
   Challenge for today: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal areas in your life that need to come to the cross, and ask forgiveness with a willingness to change.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

September 15, 2022

September 15, 2022 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
  Hope you are enjoying this day. It started out with rain and thunder when Al was off to Men’s group! This morning I went downstairs fo donut day, and  made meat loaf and Preacher’s cake. When we were making Alzheimer’s quilts yesterday we were served a scrumptious cake so I am trying it today and I’m sure Al will sample it for me. This afternoon we have Bible Study here and last week we had a large group. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
  When we lived on the lake, I loved the Saturdays that we had Wildmen Retreats. I never quite knew how many would show up but I usually made more food than I thought we’d need, because the men loved to eat!” Al led the discussions with the men, and it was based on scripture of how to be godly men. At the dinner table I got to ask them a question which they all took turns answering and I liked their honesty and ability to tell it like it is.
  It’s been a few years since Al’s retirement and I am sad as I see where many of the men’s movements have gone. Men are in crisis and dropping out; they no longer take pride in their work or even want to work, and many choose to not marry and become responsible for family. So many are depressed and lonely and attempting suicide.
    I read an article by Delano Squires, a black father, who wants to teach his sons what it means to be a man. He said that “The ultimate act of man is being willing to commit to one woman and the children you create for a lifetime… Healthy masculinity is found in men who exhibit self-control, wisdom, patience, courage, honesty, kindness, gentleness, grit, adventure, and love.” He wants to influence and model these traits for his two sons.
    He doesn’t want them or any man to feel ashamed of being a male, for that is how God created them and they are to be led by God’s Word. He goes on to say that women are also made in God’s image and equal in worth and meant to complement, not compete with one another. Men are to provide and protect and be responsible. Delano says that men need to be like leather—the perfect balance of tough and tender. His prayer is for his sons to know God, find work that is meaningful and marry a good woman and raise a family that is characterized by peace and productivity.
   Maybe this sounds old fashion to you as you read these words, but look where the culture that doesn’t not honor God has taken us today. Other ways that exclude God do not work! May men flourish and also women flourish for His glory!!
  Challenge for today: Encourage the men you know to be godly men who love God and family and are willing to do the hard work of hanging in there.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

September 14, 2022

September 14, 2022 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you will have an enjoyable day! My day is full as I hope to write, get to Aldi’s and  my exercise class; then to work and sew with other gals on Alzheimer’s quilts, a walk, and then Bible Study. Al is preaching next door at Assisted Living this morning.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
   Beginnings are important and how we begin our day may have an effect on our entire day. Maybe we have an incredibly busy schedule and wonder how will accomplish all that is on our to-do list. But does our list match what the Lord has on His list for us? And if not, we need to make a few revisions.
   First of all, we need to spend some quiet moments with Him so we can listen and hear His plan for the day. There will always be enough time for what He has on the list and our obedience is what He is looking for.
   Christianna Schreifels writes about the importance of listening as it says in I Samuel 15:22 (ESV), “Has the Lord great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.” (Saul had disobeyed by not killing all the people and animals in battle with Amalekites and lied to Samuel about it….as a result he lost his kingship.)
   Christianna goes on to say that listening is obedience and the works of our hands is sacrifice. Maybe we think we should be busy doing more and more things for the Lord, but He wants us to sit in His presence and listen first. He will give us all that we need to accomplish what He wants for us in the day and we will experience peace as we follow.
  The world competes for our time and attention, but it is more important to sit at His feet as Mary did, than to spin our wheels. Obedience should be our priority and we have to listen first. As I write this we are preparing for company and I wonder if I will be ready in time. But as I read what Christianna wrote, I know my first priority is to sit quietly and listen and ask for the Holy Spirit to fill me with His love and some energy too. Then my load will seem lighter and His presence is with me all the while I do preparations.
   Challenge for today: Take 10 minutes and sit in quiet and just listen to what the Lord has to say to you today. 
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

September 11, 2022

September 13, 2022 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones.
Hope you awake to a day full of joy and anticipation. I plan to go downstairs this morning with Choc covered raspberries, and there are always people waiting for them with their coffee. Your question for this week is: Do you find it easy to show compassion or is it something you often have to pray about? 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
   How many of us could say we are very compassionate people who love to serve and help others? Or are we more like those who confess to the Lord that we are not as kind and caring and self-giving as we would like to be? Most of us could probably use a big dose of compassion for we are surrounded by hurting people who so need God’s love.
   If we want to be a conduit of God’s grace and love, we must give up self-pity and get into self-giving! Jesus reached out to others even when He was grieving over the death of John the Baptist; and when he was tired and spent, he was concerned for the hunger of the crowd and served a meal to over 5,000. It isn’t always convenient to help others, especially when we have a heavy heart, but there is often healing of our own hearts when we give out to others. Jesus said in Luke 6:38 “Give and it shall be given to you .. for with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” As we reach out to others, our own lives are affected as well.
   Compassion doesn’t just come naturally for it will involve our time and energy and selflessness; but we can pray and ask God to fill us with His compassion. Elizabeth Peale-Allen writes, How to Have a Heart of Compassion, and suggests a few things.
   Spend a few minutes a day contemplating what it is like to be in someone else’s shoes. It could be someone in our family hurting or maybe a soldier in Ukraine but we put ourself in their place and sense what it is like to suffer as they are.
   Another way to build up empathy is to pause before we speak. We give the Holy Spirit time to open our eyes to why the person is behaving the way he is rather than immediately judging them and reacting.
   We can also pray that we recognize our own barriers to compassion as to why we get frustrated and irritated and angry or suspicious. We can follow by praying that the Lord would take that from us and help us be kind and tenderhearted and forgiving.
   Let us be compassionate people that are known by our love for the Lord and for others!
   Challenge for today: Spend 5 minutes putting yourself in the shoes of someone suffering and then pray for that person.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

 

September 12, 2022

September 12, 2022 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you had a wonderful weekend. Today is another beautiful fall day. We enjoyed the game yesterday as the Vikings won. Our pastor is a big Packer fan and wore his green Packer shirt when he preached. Emoji This morning  I made a new recipe for pumpkin choc chip cookies that I probably won’t make again, and am soon to go to my exercise class. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
   Recently, we have said good bye to friends and relatives who have left this earth life and are now in their eternal home. Of course, we miss them so much and they are a reminder that we also are getting older and will one day join them.
  But when we know the Lord, death is not the end because we are created as spiritual beings who will one day live with Him forever. We don’t need to fear but to look forward to eternity in heaven, as Jesus promised. We are people of hope. As it says in II Cor 4:16-18, “So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen’ for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.”
   Yes, outwardly I am getting more wrinkles and just celebrated a big birthday but instead of focusing on my years, I choose to focus on the unseen. Our souls are full of hope because death is like a homecoming. We will one day leave this world but something so much more glorious awaits us. We will receive glorified bodies like Jesus, so no need to worry about wrinkles, pain or suffering. In fact, there will be no more sin. And who knows what we will be assigned, but you can bet it will be glorious.
   We don’t know a lot about heaven, and I suspect our minds couldn’t even imagine or process the glories that await us if we were told a lot. I can’t begin to picture how beautiful it will be there for the Lord is preparing this place for us even now
    Yes, there will always remain an empty place that our loved one once filled. But it helps to fill those places with gratitude for the memories of them and the hope that one day we will join them. Even now, I ask the Lord to prepare me for leaving this world when my time comes, and to share Him with as many others as I can in this in between time. May the thought of our glorious future, carry us through even those tough days, for we will spend all eternity celebrating with the One who loves us most of all.\
  Challenge for today: Spend some time relaxing and picture heaven in your mind and heart.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

September 10, 2022

September 10, 2022 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Happy weekend! It is sunny out but cooler and seems more like fall. I cleaned the apt today and made an apple cake but not a recipe I will use again…but Al is happy since he is my taster! 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
   We have all been hearing and reading about the death of Queen Elizabeth who died peacefully a couple days ago at 96 years of age. She was loved by so many throughout the world and was the longest serving monarch with many titles. My favorite title for her is Defender of the Faith. The editor of Christianity.Com, Molly Law, wrote about the queen and how she was well-known for her faith in God, not just by her words but by her actions.
   We see her faith shared especially in the messages she gave at Christmas. In 2011 she said, “Although we are capable of great acts of kindness, history teaches us that we sometimes need saving from ourselves—from our recklessness or our greed. God sent into the world a unique person-neither a philosopher nor a general, important though they are, but a Savior with the power to forgive..It is my prayer that on this Christmas day we might all find room in our lives for the message of the angels and for the love of God through Christ our Lord.”
   The queen’s used the teaching of the parable of the Good Samaritan to share with others who is our neighbor. She said the victim who was robbed and beaten was not helped by a countrymen but by a foreigner who was despised. Her words, “The implication drawn by Jesus is clear. Everyone is our neighbour, no matter what race, creed or colour. The need to look after a fellow human being is far more important than any cultural or religious differences.”
   The queen revealed her faith, not only through her words but in her deeds She said, “I know the only way to live my life is to do what is right, to take the long view, to give of my best in all that the day brings and to put my trust in God.” She spoke of Jesus teachings as a framework to try to live her life like Christ’s example.
  As we remember the queen, let us hold fast those truths she spoke about but also that she lived out in her life.
Challenge for today: Be bold in your witness and let your faith be known.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

 

September 9, 2022

September 9, 2022 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Happy Weekend to you! We got some rain but seems to be clearing this afternoon. I spent the morning in the kitchen and tried a couple new recipes which we sampled for lunch. I also took a friend to the Dollar store which is always fun! This afternoon we have some errands to run and I suspect we might end up at Culvers! Emoji
 Devotions from Judy’s heart
How do we discern God’s plan for our life work? Do we just do what we think will make us happy, or are we in a job that was expected of us to take over one day? Perhaps we tried several different types of jobs and one seemed to bring in the most money.
  At this time, three of our grandsons are seeking great jobs that will love and will pay them a good living. For all of us there are many callings and possibilities and we may fill those roles at different times in our lives. I am no longer in the Pastor’s wife role that I was in for many years and now I have more time to study and write. Al only preaches once a month, and leads a weekly Bible Study so he also spends more time studying. He tells others we are a monk and a nun studying in our “monastery!”
   James Smith in his latest book, writes how our first calling is to be in Christ, that is to be loved and forgiven and made holy. We are to live in Him and become part of the Body of Christ. But we may have smaller callings such as vocational ones that we do throughout our lives that may be completely different from what we did previously. The important thing is that we listen to the Lord with open hearts and watch for the doors He opens for us. The bottom line is to be what He calls us to be, which will bring us greatest joy and satisfy our souls. 
   Smith writes how theologian Ray Anderson found his callings. He was in the war and later farmed for some time, and then went to seminary and became a seminary professor and pastor. In finding our vocation, he asked the question, “If_________(fill in the vocation) is the last thing I will ever do on earth, will it be meaningful to me?”  For him he wanted to teach until the day he died and he loved it.
   Each one of our lives has meaning and purpose and let us find what God has designed us for. I am reading from the book of Amos and the Lord called Amos when he was a farmer, rancher and grower of figs to be his prophet. Quite different than what he started out to be and a difficult assignment to speak a difficult message to a people who needed to repent! But Amos was faithful to what God called him to do. 
  May we also be faithful to do the work the Lord has for us, for then our soul will be at peace and our work meaningful. Paul said in I Cor. 7:17 (ESV), “Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him”
Challenge for today: Ask the Lord if you are in the place where He would have you right now!
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

 

 

September 8, 2022

September 8, 2022 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are enjoying another warm day before the weather changes. This morning I made egg dishes, and Oh Henry bars and went downstairs for Donuts. We have Bible study this afternoon, then shopping, and tonight I have Women’s Bible study. 
Dvotions from Judy’s heart
   We were all created with a longing for the transcendent, the desire to know our Maker. But so many try to fill this longing in other ways. Professor James Smith writes that some try to fill it with a soulmate, a romantic connection with someone. Others may try to fill this hunger with money or material possessions but find that doesn’t satisfy either. Others seek affirmation from others thinking that will meet their spiritual need but none of these things work!
   God wants to have a relationship with us but it means trust and giving up control of our lives to Him. Until we reach that point, there is a void within us and that longing to have a meaningful life of purpose is not met. Soul hunger can only be satisfied with God for we connect spirit to spirit. As Jesus said in John 4:24, “God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and Truth.” God has also given us minds to understand divine things and he tells us to set our minds on things above. He gives us a transcendent will so we can choose to trust God and also to imagine and to conceive of new things.
   Smith writes about how we as parents can expose our children very young in life to the transcendent. From the time our kids first see our smiles of love to folding our hands in prayer before a meal, we are sending a message that awakens the transcendent. From the first time our kids could sit in the highchair we had devotions and had them fold their hands to pray. We sometimes lite a candle during the devotional reading or played music or even danced.
   As adults we should be open to the transcendent and expect to hear the Lord speak. So often when we go on a mission, or retreat we hear the Lord’s voice to our hearts as we are quieted down and ready and open to hear. We get home and get too wrapped up in the busyness of life. I like Smith’s word, “Nurturing the transcendent means keeping our eyes and ears open to the wonder of each moment.” Let us practice God’s presence throughout our day, and see what a difference it makes.
Challenge for today: Take time for the transcendent at the start of your day by singing a worship song to the Lord and let the words speak to you all through the day.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

September 7, 2022

September 7, 2022 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
  Hope you are having a great day. This morning I studied, made meat loaf, and went to Aldi’s and my exercise class. Tonight we begin our fall schedule at church and start a new Bible Study. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
   How we see ourselves is important to how we see the world around us. Too often if something bad has happened to us in the past we can think it defines us and we have a negative picture of ourselves. Of course the enemy loves to play that card and tries to cause us to see ourselves as damaged and ruined for life. But that gives too much power to our story and our story is really God’s story.
    As those made in God’s image, we are far more than our story for we are spiritual beings. The Lord wants us to view our story in the right light. When we think about it, God planned we would come to live in this time, with a certain family etc and we are His story to write as He sees best. Even when the worst has happened God can weave our story into something so much bigger and bring beauty out of it.
   As I am reading James Smith’s book, he shares about his daughter getting raped and how she kept this a secret for so long and felt depressed. But when she got counseling and therapy, she was later able to share her story with trusted friends and the Holy Spirit created a new story in which she is helping others. When we have courage to share our stories, the Lord lets us help write the ending. That may mean giving up some false beliefs we have had about ourselves, especially those things that have resulted from how others have viewed us.   
    I memorized Psalm 103 and you might want to memorize a few of those verses also, to be able to meditate on them when you feel like your story needs some rewriting. Psalm 103:2-4 (ESV). “ Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget now all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy.” 
   Like Smith says, the Lord wants to redeem our stories and restore us, so He is writing our story with us. He is not through yet. But let us not get stuck but embrace the true narrative of how much we are loved.
 Challenge for today: Invite the Lord into your story, and ask Him to heal any of your false narratives.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy
« Older posts Newer posts »
Email Subscription

Lists*

© 2025 Canaan's Rest

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑