Page 132 of 358

April 16, 2022

April 16, 2022 / Judy Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

Hope you are having a glorious Easter weekend! We had such a beautiful cantata at church last night which seems to just set the mood for Easter. Since I don’t write on Sundays, I am sending your Easter devotion today. We will be going early to Hackensack tomorrow to hear Leif preach and then on to the Lake for our Easter feast. I plan to stop to see a friend at Birchview on the way also.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

I often sing the resurrection song, He arose, while driving somewhere, even though it may not be even close to Easter. I like the reminder, “Up from the grave He arose, with a mighty triumph o’er His foes. He arose a victor from the dark domain, and He lives forever with the saints to reign. He arose! He arose! Hallelujah Christ arose.”

The cross is at the center of our faith and when Jesus extended his arms on the cross, He embraced each of us in His death for our sins. But there is more, for he arose the victor. As Paul said in Phil 3:10-11, “(I want) to know (Christ) and the power of his resurrection and (the) sharing of his sufferings by being conformed to his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” In faith we look at Jesus death in light of his resurrection. If Jesus was not resurrected then our faith would be in vain. But He arose and tomorrow we celebrate Easter and His glorious resurrection.

Peter van Beemen writes about what happened that resurrection morning. Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene, who was one to seek Him and the first to find Him. The other disciples went home but Mary Magdalene didn’t leave but stayed at the empty tomb. There are two angels there who ask her why she is weeping and she says she doesn’t know where they have taken her Lord. She turns her back on the angels and weeps as she is approached by the One who she thinks is the gardener. But Jesus asks her, “Whom are you seeking?” Jesus shows concern for her grief and when He calls her by name, she recognizes him. What joy must have flooded her whole being and her grief disappeared.

Beemen shares how we are to be like Mary and to seek Him with all our hearts, and live in a close relationship with Him. Jesus knows each of us intimately and calls us by name. As like Mary, when Jesus told her not to cling to Him but go tell his disciples the news; that is also what we are called to do. As we have received the Lord, we are sent out to tell others. Mary went quickly and told the disciples, “I have seen the Lord!” Our mission is to tell others and let us not keep the good news to ourselves. Like Jesus said to His followers, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

Challenge for today: Ask for a Mary heart that seeks the Lord and shares the news.
Blessings on our Easter weekend and prayers and love, Judy

April 15, 2022

April 15, 2022 / Judy Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

Hope you have a blessed Good Friday. We have a choir cantata tonight and are looking forward to that. Many new members to our church have come with beautiful voices and we have a great choir!
More snow came last night and now the ground is white again. Hoping for a green Easter though! This morning I made raspberry g.f. muffins, cauliflower potatoes, and a very chocolatey cake!… Most going to Ann’s for Easter. We look forward to going to the lake and hear that the ice is still on.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

I have been pondering the words of Jesus on the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:24) Jesus asks His Father to forgive the very ones that were responsible for crucifying him, and what does that say for us? Do we have an out on forgiveness? No!

Sometimes we can feel justified for wanting to get even with someone and withholding forgiveness, but with Jesus’ example we are left without an excuse. It makes no difference if they purposely betrayed us or if they unknowingly hurt us, as we still must forgive, even as we have been forgiven.

At our Bible study group some shared how they had been broadsided and hurt by others and the struggle they had to forgive. We have all been wounded by others but must remember we have also caused pain to others.

Forgiveness doesn’t mean we make excuses for others’ wrong actions or that we try to simply repress what they did. It doesn’t mean that we will just forget it but rather that we give up our right to resentment and anger and let go of our bitterness. If we choose not to forgive our wound will only get bigger and we will feel cold and imprisoned. Not forgiving is very costly!

Forgiveness doesn’t necessarily occur all at once, but is a process. We may initially forgive, but then when the memory comes up again and again, we may have to forgive many times.

Forgiveness is a process and begins with a consent to forgive, and then then we will to forgive, but finally we come to know forgiveness from the heart. We find that we can actually pray a blessing on the person and give up the right to get even and just let our bitterness melt away.

We can’t do this on our own and sometimes we just have to start at the very beginning and ask the Lord to touch our heart to want to be willing.

But on this Good Friday when we think that Jesus forgave the ones who spit at him, scourged him, mocked him and crucified him, will He not give us the grace to forgive those who have wounded us?

Challenge for today: Sit in quietness and thank the Lord for all that He has forgiven you and open your heart to forgive all others.

Blessings as you remember the significance of this Good Friday and prayers and love, Judy

April 14, 2022

April 14, 2022 / Judy Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

Hope you are able to celebrate this Maundy Thursday in some special way. We have Bible Study here this afternoon and then a communion service at church tonight. It has been snowing all day but not much is sticking so we are glad for that.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

I have thought about Jesus last night before His crucifixion and what that must have been like. We discussed it in our Thursday Bible Study a few weeks ago also and saw how Jesus was preparing himself and told his disciples, in Luke 22:15, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.” He knew what was ahead and was ready to give Himself for them and for us.

What an example Jesus gave of emptying Himself and taking a servant role by washing his disciples’ feet. Just think, before Jesus did this his disciples had been arguing about which of them would be regarded as the greatest. If I was a teacher and my students were fighting over something so contrary to what I taught them, I would have been discouraged. After all Jesus taught his disciples about taking the lowest place, being humble and must have wondered if his disciples would ever learn everything He tried to teach them.

But perhaps this example of washing their feet would stay with them forever. That was the job of a servant, and not the King of Kings. It was especially amazing to me that Jesus washed the feet of Judas even though He knew Judas was the one who would turn him in and betray him. Jesus didn’t fight back but bowed and knelt and washed his feet, as all the other disciples. He loved all. Could I do that? I have to say, I’m not sure I would have, or at least I would have had a big struggle. But Jesus said in John 13:17 (God’s Word), “If you understand all of this, you are blessed whenever you follow my example.”

Jesus then followed by serving them the bread and the wine. How about us as we anticipate sharing in the Lord’s supper. What is our attitude? Are we humble and willing to admit our sins and then thankful for what Jesus did; or do we take the bread and the wine without much thought? The bread is His body broken for us and the wine is his blood shed for us. One time I got to help Al with communion and I was left with such an awesome awareness of what He sacrificed for us, for me. I will never forget it. Let us be mindful of all Jesus has done for us.

Challenge for today: Ask the Holy Spirit to help you follow Jesus’ example.

Blessings on this Maundy Thursday and prayers and love, Judy

April 13 2022

April 13, 2022 / Judy Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

Hope you are enjoying this day. We are getting rain here but not snow.

This morning I did food prep, went to Aldi’s and exercise class. This afternoon I have crafts and Al and I have an appointment after that. No time to get in trouble!

Devotions from Judy’s heart

Pray, Pray, Pray! There are so many ways to pray and it’s wonderful that we can find the way that reflects our own personality or what we may experiencing at the moment. There is not one way to pray but many ways. The Lord loves diversity!

Recently I read what Dr. Brian and Candice Simmons had to say about prayer as they quoted Ephesians 6:18 (TPT), “Pray passionately in the Spirit, as you constantly intercede with every form of prayer at all times. Pray the blessings of God upon all believers.” Every form of prayer leaves the door wide open to pray in whatever way that we feel impressed to call on Him. Sometimes it may just be silently and other times we might literally shout. There are so many prayer models in the Bible and we may use several throughout the day.

The Simmons mentioned praise and thank you prayer model that is like the password allowing us access to heaven. I think we find as we start praising him, we sense we are right in His presence. We might move on to asking in prayer and give the Lord requests we have. Often, we intercede and plead before God in behalf of others. Or we may have devotional prayer when we are alone with the Lord and pouring out our heart to Him. There is also corporate prayer when we connect with others in prayer like as a family, or church body. But it’s important to pray consistently and in in faith and right motives. It is likely that we are using all of these forms of prayer and more throughout our day.

Then Simmons closed with the following prayer: “Lord Jesus, I want You to become my prayer life. I want You to empower me and set me apart for You today. I come with my heart before You. I long to be one with You in prayer and to reflect Your glory on earth. I trust in You, and I trust the Holy Spirit to pray through me today. I will walk in the Spirit and I will pray in the Spirit. My life will be Your love offering today. I pray in Jesus name. Amen.”

Challenge for today: Pray the prayer above and also pray throughout your day as led by the Spirit.

Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

April 12, 2022

April 12, 2022 / Judy Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

Hope you wake with anticipation of a new day. Your question this week is: When have you gotten a specific word and felt like God was speaking to you? It could be a word spoken from your pastor or even a stranger but you felt like it was God speaking through them to you.

How will you be spending Easter?

Devotions from Judy’s heart

Have you ever been awakened in the night and heard a word that seems to come out of the clear blue? One night I woke up out of a sound sleep and heard the word shelf life and self-life. It was so clear that I wrote it down in the dark so I would not forget it, and went back to sleep. Then about an hour later I awakened again as I heard my name called and thought it was Al but he was still asleep. I wondered what the Lord was trying to say to me but returned to sleep.

In the morning I read my devotions from several Bibles, each a different translation. When I read from the Message translation, I was in Psalm 105 and verse 4 said, “Keep your eyes open for God. Watch for His work; be alert for signs of His presence.” We are all called to seek the Lord with openness of heart and become aware what He is up to. We are to have alertness to signs He gives of His presence. The Psalmist also went on to say that we are to recall what He has done for us in the past and share with others of His goodness to us.

So, what was the Lord saying by those strange words to waken me? What came to me initially was that food has a shelf life and an expiration date usually marked on the package. If we don’t eat the food before that date, much of the nutritional value may be lost and certain expired foods may result in us getting very sick. It is important that whatever the Lord is saying and calls us to do today, must be done on His time schedule or later may be too late. He has a work for each of us every day but the self-life often blocks the way. We want to do our own thing and be in control which can result in missing what God has for us. His way is so much better and He promises us in Psalm 32:8 (NLT), “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” None of us have to fear for whatever God has for us is the best for us, and He has also promised to be there all the while carefully guarding us. Let us not delay in doing His will but act before the expiration date!

(Later in the day, David, our walking companion, used the word shelf life in describing something Al wrote from the book of Amos. We are continually amazed at how the Holy Spirit works in mysterious ways.)

Challenge for today: Respond to the Lord’s promptings and say Yes to however He is directing you.

Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

April 11, 2022

April 11, 2022 / Judy Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

Hope you had a blessed Palm Sunday! We enjoyed the children marching in with palm branches waving, (sometime frantically waving) and an 8 year old girl who sang a lovely solo without any fear. The sun is trying to peak out now but I think rain is predicted for tomorrow, not snow! This morning I made stroganoff and went to my exercise class and I am making choc covered raspberries now.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

Today we see parents trying to make their kid’s lives happy all the time by placating them, fixing things for them, helping them avoid anything hard or hurtful etc. But is that really best for them? We all experience harsh realities in life and as parents it is important that we help our children face challenges and failures and grow through tough experiences. Otherwise, they have a false view of the world in which they will have to compete and where not all will get to be in first place at the top of the heap.

Jesus never painted the picture that when following Him that life would be easy but rather warned them of what they would have to suffer for His sake. Think of all the hard things Paul went through and it only fueled him to share the Lord with more zeal. When he was in Athens, he was concerned for the Christians in Thessalonica who were suffering persecution and wanted to give them encouragement by having Timothy go there. It says in I Thess. 3:2-3 (NRSV), “and we sent Timothy, our brother and co-worker for God in proclaiming the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you for the sake of your faith, so that no one would be shaken by these persecutions. Indeed, you yourselves know that this is what we are destined for. “

Trials are a part of God’ plan for us and He wants us to become strong through those hard times so that we can stand and not give up. It helps if we learn to face trials when we are young and are surrounded by those that can help us and teach us how to go through them. We find God uses these difficult things to build godly character and patience in all of us; and somehow when we go through those hard times, it helps us to be sensitive and also identify with others when they go through similar situations.

Let us not run from hard times but embrace what the Lord would teach us through them. And if we are parents, let us be there for our kids to help guide them, but not to rescue them out of the situations that God wants to use to build character in their lives.

Challenge for today: Don’t try to escape from suffering but ask the Lord to make you strong through them.

Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy

God Has Not Forgotten You

April 11, 2022 / Alan Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Recently, while walking in the hallway of our apartment building, a widow had displayed outside her apartment a plaque which read, “God has not forgotten you.” It caught my attention. My wife and I continually ask the Lord for grace to be light for Jesus in our apartment building. Among the many issues we sense among seniors is loneliness, especially those who have lost their mates. As I walk by the various apartments, I often pray for the Lord’s presence to be with those who live there.

In our community of seniors, we live with the ever present reality of “nearing the eternal shore.” We talk about “Jesus coming” not only in his second coming, but also of his taking us home. When people feel isolated , forgotten by their loved ones, a sense of abandonment can invade their hearts. It can cause doubt about God’s loving presence. They need to be encouraged that “Jesus will carry them” home as they near their final home.

At our Thursday bible study, I shared the words from the plaque Miriam had on display, along with the following passage from Isaiah 49:15-16, “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.”

The NET bible makes this comment about the passage. “The Lord has an innate attachment to Zion, just like a mother does for her infant child. But even if mothers were to suddenly abandon their children, the Lord would never forsake Zion. In other words, the Lord’s attachment to Zion is like a mother’s attachment to her infant child, but even stronger.”

Men, I don’t know where you are on your journey. You could be experiencing loneliness, feeling forsaken, living in a disconnected culture without nurturing human relationships, not having a sense of belonging. Jesus calls us a “little flock.” He is aware of our vulnerable. But he promises his presence (the kingdom). “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32). He knows our sense of being forsaken in this confused world causing us to wonder if anyone cares. The Psalmist declared, “Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me” (Ps 27:10)

Men, there will be times when you will feel abandoned on your journey. Here is a wonderful promise from Isaiah. “When you go though rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” (Is. 43:2). The Application Bible has this note, “If you try to make it with your own strength, you will likely drown. If you invite the Lord go with you, he will be in the river with You and teach you how to navigate the treacherous waters”

My encouragement is to keep your eyes on Jesus and let him carry you. The psalmist describes the journey in these words. “Happy are the people whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a source of spring water; even the autumn rain will cover it with blessings”(Ps 84:5-6 CSB).

We grow stronger when the journey is intently toward Jesus, even though we must pass through “the valley of affliction” (NET). “The joyful tears of the pilgrims transformed the source of sadness and grief into a spring of blessing” (CSB Study Bible).

April 9, 2022

April 9, 2022 / Judy Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

Hope you are having an enjoyable weekend and time to relax and also be renewed. I got soup made and cleaned the apartment this morning. This afternoon we are going to see a family from our church of long ago in Brunswick. Their whole family is at the nearby motel and the ones we had in S.S. are now grown and have their own kids…one with six of them! Fun!

Ann may stop by here later also.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

Recently I was reading from Sarah Young’s book, Jesus Always, and the challenge is given to look for signs of God’s unseen presence with us as we walk out our day. Do we notice Him in the many small details, as well as, the big things? She suggests that when we have gratefulness in our hearts, it helps us open our eyes to see all those blessings God puts before us and may otherwise miss. In Col.2:6-7 (MASB) “Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and not being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.” If we are full of thanksgiving, and not feeling entitled, we will be better able to see God’s hand throughout our day.

Even though someone else may be the instrument of God’s good gifts to us, it is the Lord who prompts them to do it. There are certain things the Lord knows we enjoy and when we receive them, through a stranger or a loved one, we can be grateful and thank Him. Like the other day, there was a bag with biscotti outside our apartment door and just in time for my coffee. I was grateful and smiled as I thanked the Lord. I love biscotti!

Today I asked the Lord to help me take particular notice of His gifts to me and to acknowledge and gratefully thank Him.

First of all, the Lord spoke to me from Hebrews 13:5b&6 (Amplified), “He (God) Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. (I will) not, (I will) not, (I will) not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let you down (relax My hold on you)! (Assuredly not); So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm (I will not fear or dread or be terrified) What can man do to me?” When I watch the news and see how our world is so full of chaos, I want to thank the Lord for His promise to always be with me and to give support and help.

A short while after I especially noted the sunrise out my window and all of creation waking up and heralding in a new day! Later I will walk the Paul Bunyan trail and see more of the beauty He has created for me to enjoy and I thank Him.

Let us go into our day, and each day, looking for signs of His presence and give thanks.

Challenge for today: Stop periodically through your day and thank the Lord for the many blessings you are made aware of.

Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

April 8, 2022

April 8, 2022 / Judy Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

Happy weekend! The sun is out and hopefully melting the leftover snow. This morning I studied and made egg dishes and did food prep etc. This afternoon both Al and I have our Wellness Checkups and will take most of the afternoon as we follow one another with space inbetween.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

I wonder if we realize how much we need God’s mercy, not just the time we came to accept the Lord, but often in our everyday lives. Mercy is receiving what we don’t deserve and there are times in our lives that we are so aware of our need that we feel like blind Bartimaeus. He called out loudly to Jesus, as he knew Jesus was passing by and others around him tried to hush him up. But he was persistent and only called out louder, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Luke 18:38) Jesus heard and asked him what he wanted. The blind man put into words that he wanted to see, to regain his sight. There may be times in our lives when we feel desperate and we call out to the Lord in our own way. Others may try to hush us or try to tempt us in worldly ways to fill the need that we have; but we can instead be quick to tell the Lord what it is we need, and wait for His answer. Or it could be that we try to silence other people who are loudly crying out for their needs to be met and we ignore them, especially if they have different views and lifestyles. I like the simplicity of Bartimaeus’ prayer as he didn’t give any reasons why Jesus should take notice of him, but pleaded for mercy. God is rich in mercy and we don’t have to fear He will run out. Years ago, I read the book, Pilgrim, of a man whose mission was to walk and pray what is known by some as the The Jesus Prayer, “Jesus Son of David, have mercy on me, a sinner.” For some time after reading the book, I prayed that prayer often throughout my day. I was reminded of that this morning when I read about Bartimaeus that I need to get back to doing that again. It helps me realize in a fresh way how needy I really am and dependent on the Lord. As I pray the prayer it helps me refocus on Him.

Scripture says that Bartimaeus recovered his sight and followed Him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.” Let us ask God often for His mercy, recognizing our need. Challenge for today: Throughout this day, pray The Jesus Prayer often, as you go about your work.

April 7, 2022

April 7, 2022 / Judy Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

Hope your day is going well. Also hoping that Spring will spring forth soon! This morning Al went to men’s group and I made bars and went downstairs for donuts. This afternoon we have Bible Study. I got a prayer request a few minutes ago for a mother of 2 who had breast cancer 10 years ago and then went to lungs and now is in her abdomen. They want to start chemo but she is not strong enough yet. Please pray for Lori.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

Would we say we are an authentic person who really knows ourselves or are we self-conscious and superficial? Could it be that we are one person when we are at church and another person at home?

Al likes to jest and often calls me his natural, integrated total woman but I have a longways to go in the journey of self-knowledge. I am so blessed to have a husband who accepts my imperfect self and still loves me, even when I fail. I want to be transparent and real and the same person no matter where I am or who I am with. But I am also a peace lover and do not like to cause waves, so therein lies a dilemma for me at times.

We all need to ask ourselves “Who am I really?” That means accepting not only good and favorable things but the shadows and those unfavorable things that not everyone can see.

Who are we in the eyes of the Lord who sees all?

Thomas Merton wrote, “Unless we discover this deep self, which is hidden with Christ in God, we will never really know ourselves as a person. Nor will we know God. For it is by the doors of this deep self that we enter into the spiritual knowledge of God.” He goes on to say we must die to our false self in order to become our true self.

It is a lonely life when we live only for ourselves and leave God out along with thought for others. But when we come to know ourselves, in all of our wretchedness, we come to know God in a deeper way as we can celebrate His love for us, just as we are.

Lately I have been doing some deep cleaning of our apartment and have come across some very dusty places that I missed in my weekly cleaning. I wonder how could this escape my notice. But now that I see, I can get do something about it. I feel the Lord shows us deep things and knows exactly what we are ready to deal with and gives us grace. He wants us to make us whole and holy. Today I read from Eph. 1:4 (Message), “Long before He laid down earth’s foundations, He had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of His love, to be made whole and holy by His love.”

Let us get to know our real selves and humbly admit our darkness and failures and let Him make us whole.

Challenge for today: Seek to be authentic and agree with the Lord when He reveals your sin patterns; allow Him to make you holy and whole.

Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

Canaan's Rest

Page 132 of 358

April 16, 2022

April 15, 2022

April 14, 2022

April 13 2022

April 12, 2022

April 11, 2022

God Has Not Forgotten You

April 9, 2022

April 8, 2022

April 7, 2022

Recent Posts

Meta

Recent Comments

Archives

Categories