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.

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August25, 2021

August 25, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are enjoying this beautiful day. This morning I studied, did food prep, stir fry etc, and went to my exercise class. Next is crafts in a few minutes. Keep praying for my cousin Susie as she needs a miracle!   
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Do we sometimes feel the Lord is hidden from us and we start doubting and wondering, “Where are you, God?” When we have trials of various kinds, sickness, or just feel bummed, do we doubt He is with us or that He sees and cares? No matter what we feel inside, we can go to scripture and find the nuggets of truth that lets us know how loved and cared for we are. 
I was reading what Ronald Rolheiser wrote about such times. Like a baby in its mother’s womb, he is totally surrounded by his mother and yet cannot see her with his eyes. She is present but the baby has to be born to see his mother. We cannot see God and yet we are enveloped by Him. We must first be born (death as our second birth) to see Him. The more we come into the Light of His presence the more He seems hidden as we are blinded by His brightness, just like when we are looking at the sun and we feel blinded. But as Rolheiser says we are not being blinded by God’s absence, but by the light of His presence. The longer we know the Lord it seems we realize the greater mystery He is and know we have so much more to learn of Him. Faith is required as His presence in us is hidden and rather quiet and gentle. He never forces Himself on us but waits for our response and respects our freedom. Just like the familiar picture of Jesus at our heart’s door knocking, the latch is on the inside and we are the ones who are to open to Him.
  I think we would all confess that we have doubts at times like Peter who began sinking when he looked at the big waves and felt the wind. Doubts come to all of us and we begin to sink when we try to go in our own strength and don’t trust the Lord. Maybe there are days we feel like we are walking on water and other days when we know we are not. It leaves us humble and more dependent on the Lord and we grow in maturity. We might say our relationship with the Lord goes beyond the Honeymoon stage when emotions are strong and full of certainty about our love. Marriage is more, for even though it has ups and downs and times of feeling distant, we are being drawn closer and deeper together as we face the challenges in life. Let us hold fast to our faith even when we walk in darkness.  As it says in II Cor. 5:7 (ESV), “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
Challenge for today: Don’t let your faith be determined by feelings, but by trusting in His promises, even in the darkness.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

 

August 24, 2024

August 24, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
As I write this it is storming outside but so wonderful to hear the rain that is so needed. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
How often do we find ourselves asking forgiveness and then having a hard time letting go of the fact that we have failed? Yes, we all sin, we all fail, and daily we all need God’s grace and forgiveness. Why is that such a surprise? Grace is God’s unmerited favor to us, and how freeing it is to be able to tap into that when we know we have blown it and need forgiveness. None of us are squeaky clean and even if we have not been caught outwardly in doing something wrong, we sin daily in our thoughts, unspoken words, and unnoticed deeds. We all have need of forgiveness!
Recently, I read a devotional by Kristen Terrette who is a Children’s Ministry Director. I thought she had an ingenious way of helping the children understand our need for forgiveness. She tried to think of a way of helping explain the gospel and such big words like justification and sanctification etc. She came to class wearing an oversized perfectly white t-shirt and gave each of her students a sharpy permanent marker. Then one by one she had each child make a mark on her shirt to represent a sin which they said out loud. It could be a very small mark or a large gash but before long her shirt was full of visible black marks. Then she told them how she would not be able to enter heaven even if there was one tiny black speck on her shirt, for it didn’t matter if it was big or small. It reminded me of the verse I learned as a child found in James 2:10 (ESV), “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.” We are all guilty for no one is good enough as we all fail! Kristen then put on a new white t-shirt over the stained one to represent what Jesus did on the cross for us. She told them how Jesus was sinless and took our place and that we all have to confess our sin and accept His offer of salvation. It is perhaps easier for children to understand rather than adults, as our pride gets in the way. We feel we have to earn it, or strive to be sinless but all our efforts are futile. We need grace! We are undeserving and unworthy and yet He invites us to accept His free gift.
May we humbly confess our sins and let Him cover us with his white robe of righteousness.
Challenge for today: Be quick to admit when you have sinned and accept His grace to you.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

 

August 23, 2021

August 23, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you had a great weekend. We had a wonderful one in Mora with friends from our previous church. So many blessings! Today I made porkchops with Spanish rice, S.F Choc chip cookies and egg dishes and soon am going to my exercise class. When I get home we are being taken out to lunch by friends. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Once again on Saturday four of us couples gathered together for our annual time of fellowship and lunch together. The couples are very special in our lives as they helped us dream and plan and build Canaan’s Rest when we lived on the Lake. Although we no longer run the retreat house in the woods for Pastors and wives and others, we still meet together to share our lives and how we sense God is leading. It is so beautiful to see how God individually speaks to each one but also that together we seek corporate discernment for the Body of Christ.
One couple is very active with a group called Celebrate Recovery. They meet each week and help so many get free of addictions and introduce them to the Lord. They are like Spiritual parents to men and woman of all ages. I was blessed to get hugs from some of them in recovery who read my book or daily devotions and shared with me a bit of their lives on Sunday morning.
Another couple are mentors to so many in their church. They are examples to couples of what a godly marriage is like. They also help the youth memorize God’s Word and have a passion for missions etc. They show wonderful hospitality as their home is open and welcoming to so many.
The other couple makes a difference in influencing young people for the Lord. He is also man of prayer and prays for his wife who works during the week at a pizza place. It is frequented by hard core young people, heavy into drugs and unholy living. She shares God’s love by her actions and waits for opportunities to tell them their worth in Jesus. Her hubby is also a whiz in the sound booth and makes music for church even when no one on the worship team shows up. Their house is also open any time to their kids and grandchildren as they live out Jesus’ love.
All of us couples are so different but each happily married and serving the Lord in unique ways. We don’t all have the same gifts but desire to use what we are given, as Paul said in Romans 12 (The Message), “Each of us finds our meaning and function as part of His body….Since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body, let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other or trying to be something we aren’t.”  Let us not copy or envy the gifts of others but use our gifts for His glory in the way God has designed.
Challenge for today: Ask the Lord how He wants to use you today and don’t miss the opportunities He sends.
Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy

In a Little While

August 23, 2021 / / 0 Comments

Haggai is one of the shortest prophecies in the Old Testament.  Haggai wrote this in 538 B.C. to those returning from 70 years of captivity after the Babylonian empire had fallen to Cyrus, King of Persia.  They returned to a land devastated and were shocked to see a ruined temple – the center of their worship – left in shambles.

The people of God began to rebuild the temple but soon grew discouraged due to fierce opposition. Lacking commitment to finish the work, they began to settle for personal peace and prosperity, giving energy to building their own homes while neglecting the reconstruction of the temple.  God warned them that their lives would not improve, “…because my house… remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house” (1:9).  “Because of you,” God declares, “the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops” (1:10). 

Through Haggai, God reminded the people of their spiritual priorities, helping them to see that he was up to something: “The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house” (2:9).  It was hard from them to visualize this.  God tells them, “In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land” (2:6). God had his sovereign timetable for history and reassured them that He was working out His plan. 

God declared he “will shake all the nations, and the treasures of all the nations will be brought to this Temple.  I will fill this place with glory” (2:7 NLT).  The silver and gold belong to the Lord.  All the physical creation and all nations will bow to the sovereign Lord. In bringing some of this to pass, the emperor Darius even “instructed the opponents of the temple to pay the cost of the project from the royal revenue in their own taxation districts” (Bible Speaks Today – BST).  

As in the first coming of the Lord, this will also be seen in the second coming of our Lord.  “Jesus’ death and resurrection were both accomplished by a shaking of the earth (Mt. 27:51; 28:2).  But the final fulfillment lies in the future when, “the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb” are the temple (Rev. 21:22 BST).

Men, we live in this period of a “little while.”  Be assured that God continues to bring about “great shaking.”  We read in Heb. 12:26, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”  We, however, belong to an unshakable kingdom.  “…God is not an indifferent bystander.  He’s actively cleaning house, torching all that needs to burn, and he won’t quit until it’s all cleansed. God himself is Fire!” (Heb. 12:28-9 – Message).  

During this “little while” before Jesus returns, God is purifying and cleansing His church.  The shaking will continue for some time.  You might be shocked and dismayed at what you read in the popular media.  But remember God is moving us to a time when He will receive all the glory.  In the meantime, he is preparing something far greater than anything we could have imagined.  

Pray to keep your priorities straight, so that you are part of what God is doing for the future.  “The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house.  And in this place, I will grant peace” (2:9).   

Lord, help me to see where I’m too busy focused on meeting my own wants and desires rather than the needs of your Kingdom – and help me do something to change that. 

August 21, 2021

August 21, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones.
Hope you are enjoying the weekend. We got a good rain last night. PTL!
You are getting this early as we will be leaving for Mora for a time of fellowship with friends who were former Board Members of Canaan’s Rest. Tomorrow we hope to see more friends from our previous church at the morning service where Al will be preaching. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
How wonderful we can call on the Lord any time, morning, noon and night. He responds when we call to Him and always listens to us. David wrote Psalm 55 when he was troubled and confused and betrayed by his best friend. He says in Psalm 55:1-2a (God’s Word) , “Open your ears to my prayer, O God. Do not hide from my plea for mercy. Pay attention to me, and answer me.” He goes on to say that will put his trust in the Lord who will listen and will save him and take care of him.
How about us when we are fearful and confused and troubled? Is that our first response to call on the Lord? His name is all powerful and He wants our trust that He will work things out for His glory. His answer is not always like we expect or exactly what we asked for but rather according to His wisdom.We have all most likely had times we have felt like the Lord wasn’t listening or maybe we are paying more attention to the voices around us rather than His.
 I read today about blind Bartimaeus who was a beggar and sat on the side of the road. When he heard Jesus was near he began to shout for Him to have mercy on him. Many tried to hush him up but he only yelled louder. Jesus stopped for He heard his cry and asked what he could do for him. Of course, he was quick to tell the Lord he wanted to see. Jesus told him that his faith had healed him and he immediately got his sight and accompanied Jesus. Bartimaeus could have given up when they first tried to silence him but he was not distracted or silenced. Neither should we be, no matter what others say. We can always come to the Lord with all that weighs on our hearts, and in faith, entrust everything to Him.
Right now my own prayer is for my cousin Susie who has Covid. I know God has the power to heal her and I pray for a miracle but I also know the answer belongs to Him. He will work all things out for His glory and honor and therefore, we trust.
Challenge for today: Give the Lord all your concerns and in faith wait for His answers and give thanks.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

 

August 20, 2021

August 20, 2021 / / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

Happy weekend to you! Another sunny day and not so hot. The house is full of wonderful aroma as I was busy in the kitchen this morning and then cleaned the apartment. We are packing up to leave tomorrow morning for Mora MN where we will be meeting with our former Board for Canaan’s Rest and having a time of fellowship. We will stay overnight and then Al preaches at True Vine on Sunday. We look forward to seeing friends from our days in Brunswick. 

Devotions from Judy’s heart

Water is needed and so important and we are now reading now about water wars. In the U.S. the southwestern states are especially suffering with a water shortage. Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in our country is only at 40% of its capacity and being part of the Colorado river system, it has ramifications for many states. Farmers will have to cut back and changes will have to be made for many.

My cousin’s daughter and son-in-law are especially aware of the need for water for they are now in the desert as they continue their walk across America. Water was their big concern and much to their wonderful surprise, concerned friends left water and food at certain points along the way for them. What a relief!

We have only to think of our spiritual thirst and how much we need the water of life. Jesus offered the Samaritan woman at the well living water and He said in John 4:13-14 (The Message), “Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. Anyone who drinks the water that I give him will never thirst—not ever. The water that I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life.”  Jesus offers us living water to quench our thirsty souls. So many try to satisfy their spiritual thirst with other means but that will never work.The Lord told Jeremiah in Jeremiah 17 that if we trust in man, we are like a shrub in the desert that dwells in parched places. Such a person is like a tumbleweed, rootless and aimless in the desert. But the Lord says if we trust in Him, we are like a tree planted by water; our leaves remain green even in the heat and we have no cause to fear the drought. Living water is always available to us and we don’t need to become anxious but rather let our roots go down deep into the Lord. Let us receive the living water and drink deeply each day that we may flourish.

Challenge for today: Spend some time in the Word and drink deeply of the living water.

Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

P.S. Since I wrote this there was rain in the desert for the first time in a year and a half for the walkers across America. PTL!.

August 19, 2021

August 19, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are enjoying this lovely day. This morning I did food prep and went to Aldi’s, and downstairs for donuts. This afternoon Al leads our Bible study here and tonight is Women’s Bible Study at church. No time to get in trouble!
Devotions from Judy’s heart
As I see friends and family struggling with health issues my heart is saddened and I pray for God’s grace upon them. My cousin is fighting for her life right now as she has Covid and is on a respirator and has sepsis. Another friend lives in constant pain and hoping for relief through surgery. We all know so many who  live with pain and wonder when and if relief will ever come. But no matter what, we must continually remember God’s grace is sufficient for all that each of us face today and every day of our lives, whether it be physical pain or difficult circumstances. We are meant to lean into the Lord and find our strength in Him.
 The Apostle Paul knew what it was like to face afflictions of every kind, and he had a thorn in the flesh which he was never relieved of, and yet could say as in II Cor 4:7, & 10 (God’s Word), “Our bodies are made of clay, yet we have the treasure of the Good News in them. This shows that the superior power of this treasure belongs to God and doesn’t come from us. In every way we’re troubled, but we aren’t crushed by our troubles. We are frustrated but we don’t give up…we carry around the death of Jesus in our bodies so that the life of Jesus is also shown in our bodies.” 
Our bodies contain the greatest treasure of the Gospel and though they are frail like clay, it only makes it more evident to others that our power is from God. We must never give up even when we feel we are at the end of our rope, for we are children of hope. Our bodies may be weak but God works through them to spread the Good News and share His love. Even in our humiliations, He uses them to display His power and presence. Our trials will not last forever!  Let us not focus on our pain but on the great treasure He has put within us, and remember one day our suffering will be over and we have an eternity with Him.
Challenge for today: Give all your struggles to the Lord and ask that others will see God at work in your life.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

 

August 18, 2021

August 18, 2021 / / 0 Comments
 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Haven’t we all dreamed of a life of ease, where everything seems to just flow along smoothly? No computer problems, no deadlines to meet, no battles to fight…just peaceful sailing. Now even though it sounds wonderful, I wonder how our faith would fare? Would we get spiritually lazy and run simply on auto pilot? Perhaps. Even though we love good times, it is often in our times of wounding and brokenness that we seem to grow closer to the Lord and our faith deepens. I read what Anne Neilson had to write about our times of trials and the battles we have to face. She was building a new home over a 3 year period, and while it was being framed, she noticed that the 2 by 6 foot lumber all had ugly knots. When she complained to the builder he told her, “Anne, the more knots there are in the timber, the stronger the wood!” She let those words speak to her in the spiritual sense and visualized that when she went through trials, every victory was a mark on her heart that created a knot and brought strength. What a wonderful outlook. The more knots the stronger we can also become.While at the cabin, I also looked at the walls and ceiling that was full of knots and thanked the Lord they were marks of victory.
When building, after the framing, comes the dry wall that hides the knots just like Jesus covers all by His sacrifice for us on the cross.  Anne quotes from Psalm 147:3 (ESV), “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” He takes our pains and sorrows, bandages up our wounds, and brings healing to us. Scars are marks left by the tissue that is healed; just like Anne, our scars can be symbols of victory.  God often uses us to share our scars with others so that they also may turn to Him and receive healing. Even if we have had a rough start in life, parents that were far less than perfect, things done to us that caused big knots, the Lord can heal us and make us stronger. Let us give all our hurts to Him, let Him cover them with his love, and receive His deep healing.
Challenge for today: Be open to share a personal healing in your life when given the opportunity. 
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy



 

 

August 17, 2021

August 17, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are enjoying your day. This morning I did more catch up, food prep, and took a friend to the Dollar store. Continue to pray  for our friend Grace who visited as she is not feeling good yet and resting before deciding if they will continue their trip to Iowa. I also ask for prayers for my cousin Susie who has Covid and in acute respratory distress syndrome. The doctor is now trying to get her transferred to Mayo and many prayers are appreciated. Thank you!
Devotions from Judy’s heart
God’s timing is incredible! I specifically prayed for His timing Saturday morning as we were going to the lake. We wanted to get there in time to wash bedding and prepare the cabin for dear friends that were going to arrive after lunch. But on the way I also wanted to see a friend who is in Assisted Living and spends much of her time in her wheel chair. We decided to stop for gas on our way so we wouldn’t get there too early. When we arrived at Birchview Gardens there was my friend outside in the parking lot on her way to the Art Fair in her wheelchair. She had only to go down an incline from where she lived to the Art Fair but I don’t think she could have stopped her wheelchair if she had decided to go that way. I was glad I arrived when I did for when I held onto the handles of the wheelchair, I had a hard time holding it back from speeding down the incline into the path of others.
My friend has such a generous heart towards others and she loves to spend money that she has saved in order to buy gifts for her son’s family and for all the care workers where she lives. Since her eyesight is very limited, we hunted together for just the right gifts. We searched the whole Art Fair for jewelry, but since she needed about twenty gifts, paying over $50 for a pair of earrings was not in the cards. But we came upon a table that had just the right gifts and the right price, and made the vendor very happy too! We began rejoicing and thanking the Lord! Before leaving I wanted to bring her back to her room; it took all the muscle I had to get her up the incline and I wondered how she could have done this on her own without help. We both keep saying, “Isn’t God’s timing perfect!”
I know we may often feel like God is late in answering our prayers and wish He would hurry but we need to trust Him for His perfect timing. Jesus’ brothers wanted Him to show himself to the world and told him to leave Galilee and go to Judea so his disciples would see the great works he was doing. But Jesus responded with, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here.” Jesus did exactly as His Father told him to do, and in His perfect timing. Let us not be too soon or too late for our times are in His hands.
Challenge for today: Pray each day for God’s plan and timing for your life and be patient as you wait.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy
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