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.

Page 182 of 368

March 3, 2021

March 3, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are enjoying this warmer day of sunshine. This morning I studied and made individual egg dishes and went to my exercise class. We plan to get a walk in this afternoon and go to a Lenten service tonight.  
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Why do we respond as we do? Is it coming from deep inside of us of how we really feel or do we often act out of hurts in our past that still need healing?  When I wrote the last devotional I sent out to you about the miracle and God’s timing of our birth, I realized for the first time in my life that maybe my birth was not planned by my parents. Really, I have never given that a thought before. My mom already had a one -year-old son and a two- year- old son; it is not likely that she wanted a another baby so soon, making it 3 little ones in 3 years. Now she never told me that, but in the back of my mind, all my life, I have not wanted to be an inconvenience. I don’t like to be upfront or have the attention on me. That is not the best material for a Pastor’s wife as we are often asked to speak and do public things. I remember resisting the suggestion by some at one of our church to stand at the door with Al each Sunday to greet people. I even had dreams of being pushed in the limelight which I objected to. I don’t even like being honored in the restaurant on my birthday with the workers all serenading me. As I write devotions to all of you, God also works on me, and that is as it should be.  I recently wrote that I want my outward life to be congruent with my inner life and that my actions would be consistent with my words. God did plan my birth at just the right time as I was close to my two older brothers growing up; later I finally got a sister and way later came another brother who was loved by all. God had it all planned from the beginning. There are things that have happened in all of our lives that need healing and as the Lord reveals them, we can get prayer and get set free from them. I was in a small intimate prayer group where we all received healing prayers and freed us up in areas of our lives; but there is always more and we need to be open to the Holy Spirit. It is a gift when He reveals and connects the dots for us. It says in Psalm 147:3 (Amplified), “He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds (curing their pains and their sorrows).”  We have only to ask the Lord to cleanse our wounds as we confess our part, and then He brings the healing; It is important to keep our eyes on Him and not keep dwelling on what happened or infection will develop. It is exciting and also painful at times as we go through the healing process, but the new freedom is worth it. As the Apostle Paul said in III John 1:2, may we enjoy good health and all go well with us, even as our soul is getting along well.
Challenge for today: Expose your wounds to the Lord and let Him cleanse and heal them. 
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

March 2, 2021

March 2, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are having a joy-filled day! This morning I did food prep and cleaned the apartment and took choc covered raspberries downstairs for our coffee time. Emoji This afternoon we are going to the store and then for our walk in this beautiful sunshine! 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Each of us is a miracle and have eternal value. No one else is quite like us and we were born at the right time in God’s time table. Every birth is an awesome mystery that God brings about. My nephew’s wife recently had their first baby and even though they anticipated the birth around the date of 40 weeks, it’s not like anyone could know the exact moment of little Gloria Rose’s birth; or who of us will know when she will smile or say her first word? None of these things we can take credit for anyway. I was reading some of Eugene Peterson’s sermons that he gave to his congregation over a 29- year span of being their pastor. He preached about the miracle of Isaac’s birth and how long his parents had to wait. (It is the first detailed birth story in the Bible.)  The promise of a son was given to Abraham and Sarah long after child bearing age. But Abraham had faith and believed God’s promise and God fulfilled it in giving them a son, Isaac whose name meant laughter. Their lives must have been radically changed but so full of joy after waiting so long; Sarah was 90 years old and Abraham was 100. My dad lived to be 100 and my mom almost 89 and I can’t imagine them bringing a baby into the world at that age. But we are all a person brought into being by God. Think about it! He knows our name and the exact moment we would be born for He created life. When I was a young RN, I worked the last months of my pregnancy in OB and with the newborns in the hospital nursery, so as to avoid heavy lifting of patients etc. Believe me, no baby is just an ordinary occurrence for the parents. As they watched me through the nursery window bath their baby, they beamed with pride of how beautiful their baby was. Perhaps when you held a newborn baby for the first time, you might have also been overcome with the awesomeness of the miracle. That little bundle comes with a personalized plan from the Lord and has all the necessary gifts to fulfill it. Each of us are also programed by the Lord and our part is to receive Him and His love, and seek to follow His individual plan for our lives. He says in Jer. 29:11 (God’s Word), “I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with hope.” God’s plan for us is the very best and let us participate in His specific plan for us, all the while growing in our love for Him,
Challenge for today: Ask the Lord if you are in the place He has programed for you at this time in your life.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

Boy Energy

March 1, 2021 / / 0 Comments

In an “Institute for Family Studies” article, Philip Zimbardo and Nikita Coulombe have a very informative essay on the place of young men in our culture. “We determined,” the authors state, “that in our culture today, “boy energy” is at best not valued and at worst demonized.  In response, young men are deciding that it’s not worth it for them to invest their time and energy back into society.  Many are asking what is in it for them and only hear crickets.”  

Boys in our day are getting left behind.  They are “failing to launch,” evidenced in such symptoms as “a disenchantment with education, lack of motivation to work towards real-life goals, opting out of the workforce, self-imposed social isolation, and excessive video game and porn use.”  The authors make reference to fatherlessness being on the rise.  “… even the boys that have fathers in their lives,” notes the authors, “only spend a fraction of their time in one-on-one conversation with them versus the time they spend in front of a screen, where they see men depicted as emotionless warriors, deadbeat dads, or losers.”

Could the lack of “boy energy” reflect the absence of fathers and male mentors in the  lives of boys?  I think it points in that direction.  My intention has been to be an encouragement to men, especially fathers. 

Men need to evaluate the God-given position they have before God.  “The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it” (Gen 2:15 NLT).  From the beginning, God first gave man the primary responsibility of rightly ordering relationships.  Then he gave him a help mate.  In the fierce “gender wars” men have vacated their male relational leadership post.  Who will watch out for young men?    

The authors place the blame on society for the lack of boy energy.  “…it is society that is not providing the structure, guidance, means or places for young men to develop themselves and thrive.”  They describe, “Boys going from female-dominated home environments to  female-dominated school environments, back to female-dominated home environments – where boys are being told to behave.”  Can godly men admit to themselves and those closest to them that they might have abandoned the place God has for them  in society?

If you are a man reading this post, and sense you have abandoned your God-ordained place in relationships, it is not to late to return and stand.  What can you do?  In repentance and humility come before the Lord and admit that you have left your post as a man.  Cry out to God for grace and mercy.  Resist the desire to leave your relational responsibility.  If it is sincere, God will delight in your request in wanting to stand where your belong.  Don’t give in and flee.

The lack of “boy energy” is  confirming  a theme mentioned consistently in this blog.  Energy is something that is caught and passed on from older men to younger men.  “Masculinity is caught, not taught,” has been a consistent mantra.   How do you pass on this energy?  By opening your heart and spirit and just being you.  Walk in integrity and honesty.  “He has showed you, O man, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). 

As a man with an open spirit, you have male energy flowing through you.  In relating to younger men, you give them “father energy.”  It is something that is desperately needed in our society today.  You don’t have to fight or argue; just walk it out.  

 

March 1, 2021

March 1, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you had a great weekend and a time to be refreshed. It’s sunny and not so windy so we will be able to walk outside today. This morning I made bars and went to Aldi’s and to my exercise class. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
How many of us live in such a way that what we believe inside of us is always expressed outwardly in our lives. I don’t know about you, but I find I fail at this in ways every day; my heart’s desire though is to live a life of congruence so that what is inside matches the outside. I am reading a book by Pastor Eugene Peterson who sought to let his preaching and teaching be one with how he lived his life…in other words to practice what he preached. How good that is when our words and actions are matched with what we believe in our hearts and live out each day. Pastor Peterson wanted what he preached to be lived out in him and his congregation, with no dissonance or pretense. He found he became more patient where they were at and not how he wanted them to be. There are those that read the Word more as a history book rather than a book of faith in God. Instead of reading just commentaries and books about the Bible Peterson says, “Read the book!” God has so much to say to us and we need to take time to read his instructions and His love letter to us. The Lord is our Friend and we are to live as His friend, not doubting His love for us, but basking in it. Peterson shares how Abraham was called a friend of God. In James 2:23 (NRSV) it says, “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God.” Being a friend meant that he knew God was on his side, not in the sense of being like teachers’ pet with special treatment, but God was for him. In fact, Abraham endured leaving his secure life in Ur and saying good-by to family and homeland, living through famine and facing many dangers. But Abraham lived as a friend of God and built altars to God wherever he went. He built them himself out of stone and remembered the Lord. As we identify with Lord and know that He is for us, let us live as His friend. Friends are honest and will tell us things we don’t always want to hear but they do it out of love. Friendship is about relationship, not for what someone can do for us, but for who they are. We remember one another, we have pleasure in each other’s company and they help us becomes more of our true selves. Actually, Abraham didn’t ask God for anything but he expressed gratitude to Him as he built altars, obeyed, prayed, believed and was present to Him. Just like his friendship with the Lord, may we live as a friend of God, and express outwardly what is in our hearts.
Challenge for today: Remember you are God’s friend and treat Him as your best friend each day.
Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy

February 27, 2021

February 27, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Happy weekend! Hope you have time to relax and get refreshed. This morning I studied and did food prep and made bars. This afternoon we are going to try out a new health store that just opened yesterday!  
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Is our soul centered in the Lord or are we double-minded and un-centered and tossed about? I am trying to be intentional about my own soul care, especially during this Lenten time; and as I read John Ortberg’s book, Soul Keeping, it is opening my eyes to see how important the care of my soul is. When our soul is without a center, we find it is hard to make decisions and we go back and forth without clarity. Ortberg writes that in that condition we are more vulnerable and often filled with fear and impatience, and easily thrown off balance. When we try to find our identity in externals rather than being centered in God, he compares it to building our house over a sinkhole and waiting to give way. It actually happened to a man in Florida 8 years ago when a sinkhole opened up beneath the family home; he and his house were swallowed up and he lost his life. How important it is to have a firm foundation in the Lord, and live from this deep Center. In order to keep centered, we can ask ourselves if a particular thing we are thinking or doing will block our soul’s connection to God or will it bring us closer. Sin blocks are relationship and the enemy tries to nudge us from our center. There are also times when we simply don’t take God into account; when difficulties arise, we just leave God out of the equation and try to manage on our own. But of course, it doesn’t work for we were meant to walk with God and to live our lives in Him; as we do so, we will find ourselves nurtured, healed and complete. It’s like our spiritual thirst that is quenched, for all of us were made to search for God. As David said in Psa. 63:1 (ESV), “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you.” God pursues us, He desires to be with us and I have to remind myself during the day to just enjoy Him as I do my work. I talk to Him while driving to exercise class and sing to Him, but there are periods of my day, that I am not consciously aware that He is right there with me. Ortberg’s challenge to me and hopefully also to you is: “How many moments of my life today can I fill with conscious awareness of and surrender to God’s presence?” Let’s do life centered in Him!
Challenge for today: Invite God into your day and take note how much of your day is with conscious awareness of Him.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy
 

 

February 26, 2021

February 26, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Happy weekend to you! Hope you are full of Hope and peaceful in His peace! This morning I did food prep and then went back to shop at the wild sale you will read about. So much fun!!
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Our riches are found in the Lord for He is always good, always faithful, always full of love. Sometimes we wait and wait for something we desire and don’t get it, at least not right away, but that doesn’t cancel out the fact of God’s greatness and goodness and love. The bottom line is that He is sovereign and knows best. Those very things we want changed may be what He is using to keep us close to Him in dependency and love. Sometimes He totally surprises us and pours out unexpected blessings and we are left in awe. I want to share a material blessing I received yesterday; I came home smiling from ear to ear and told Al, “I don’t know when I have had such fun!!”  Al was gone in the morning and encouraged me to go to Christopher and Banks in the afternoon for the store is closing tomorrow.  He knew that I was aware of the sales but I never dreamed it would be so good. Over half the store was vacant but there were still racks of clothes left and marked 80% off. As I was going through the clothes and trying things on, the clerk asked me if I knew that after a certain amount, we also got 50% more off of the 80% sale price. I was unaware and increased my intensity to look even more closely. I found 15 items for others and myself and saved $588.49! Instead of pants costing $60 they were $6 and shirts that had been $45 were $4.50. etc. It was unbelievable! As soon as I got back to our apartment complex, I told friends where they could go for this great sale. But of course, that news pales in comparison to the Good News we have been given to share and the spiritual blessings the Lord waits to give. There are times for all of us when we need a word and a particular scripture is just like the perfect fit for our need. The Lord knows and has a storehouse of promises and we have only to claim them. Maybe a friend feels anxious and depressed, we can listen but also give them a scripture for them to try on and hang on to. Or if others have never received the Lord we can help lead them to the way of salvation. That is the best gift of all and the price has already been paid. It is free! It says in Joel 2:13, “Rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing.”  Although I had to pay a small amount for the sale clothes, He offers us salvation which is the most important gift of all and lasts for all eternity.
Challenge for today: Use opportunities the Lord sends to share with others of the most wonderful gift of all!
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

February 25, 2021

February 25, 2021 / / 0 Comments
 
Devotions on Judy’s heart
Last evening Al and I went to Lenten service at another church, and discovered there was only one couple in the congregation besides us along with the Pastor, pianist, sound person. We had been to the same church last week and there were about 40 people there so this was rather unexpected. I felt sorry for the pastor at first, and he started out by saying “Where two or three are gathered ( and we were barely more than three), there Christ was in our midst. But we were pleasantly surprised as the pastor didn’t have a typical sermon, but read scripture and had us be quiet for a few moments and then share a word or phrase stood out to us. He read the story from Mark 4: 35-41 from The Message translation of the Bible, where Jesus tells his disciples to go to the other side. After they all get in the boat, Jesus fell asleep in the stern and a huge storm came up with waves pouring into the boat, threatening to sink it. The disciples wake Him and ask if he didn’t care that they are probably all going down. But Jesus just told the wind to pipe down and for the sea to settle down; and the storm quieted and the sea became smooth as glass. Now we have been in storms and it doesn’t happen that they usually end that quickly. Pastor read the story a second time and we were asked to share why the phrase struck us after spending some moments of quiet; then he read it a third time asking what we felt God was saying to us through it. (It’s called Lectio Divina and I have written before of how we did this on Monday nights for several years with a group when we lived at Canaan.) It’s strange but as many times as I have read the story and even written of it, I never noticed the phrase, “They took Him in the boat as He was.” How did I miss that. The phrase spoke to me that Jesus comes to us just as He is but in many different ways. I thought of how He often comes to us as a wonderful teacher and we gain wisdom from Him. Sometimes He comes to us as a disciplinarian, much like our parent when we need correction. He may also come to us as Father, and reassures us of how much He loves us. There are times I sense He is a Good Shepherd that shows me the way I should go, especially when making life decisions. Other times I sense He is my protector when I am in situations of danger. Yes, Jesus comes as He is, and may we rest knowing that He is everything we need and more at each moment. I think the service tonight was just what I needed too. 
Challenge for today. Read Mark 4:35-41 and see what stands out for you.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

 

February 24, 2021

February 24, 2021 / / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,
Hope your day is full of sunshine and joy. I spent much of morning in the kitchen with food prep and making stroganoff, and the house is still full of aroma. I went to my exercise class and later Al and I plan to walk and find a church for Lenten service.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Our hearts were made to worship. When we neglect to worship, something is missing in our lives. There are those moments when our hearts are so grateful to the Lord that we have a deep need to just express what is in our hearts. Recently I specifically prayed for the Lord’s intervention before going to an event. I prayed all the way there and clearly saw God’s hand move, leaving me with such an awe of His presence and power. I praised Him all the way home as it flowed from my thankful heart. But we don’t need any special circumstance to usher up our praise, for the Lord is worthy of our praise all the time. When we feel alone or down, what better way to have our hearts uplifted than to begin to praise the One who is Life, and Joy, and Peace and Love. I was reading from Genesis 28 this morning when Jacob was trying to escape from his brother Esau; he had stolen his father’s blessing and Esau was angry enough to want to kill him. But when Jacob got as far as Haran he camped for the night and put his head on a stone. He dreamed about a stairway that reached to the sky and angels of God going up and down it. God made him a promise that the ground that he was sleeping on would belong to his descendants and that they would be as many as the dust of the earth and bless all the families of the earth. Verse 15 (The Message) says, “Yes, I’ll stay with you, I’ll protect you wherever you go, and I’ll bring you back to this very ground. I’ll stick with you until I’ve done everything I promised you.” You can imagine how Jacob felt when he woke up. He knew the Lord was in that place and the first thing he did was to make a memorial pillar in praise to God and poured oil on it and made a vow to the Lord. When our hearts are full there is need to do something to let it out and like the song goes, “Now is the time to worship”. Now is the time to bow our knees and give our hearts in surrender.
Challenge for today: Spend some time in worship and express praise for who God is!
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

February 21, 2021

February 23, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you are enjoying this day and living in the moment. This morning I cleaned and studied and this afternoon we are having company. It is 36 out and we enjoy our afternoon walks. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Several mornings I have woken up with the song from Psalm 51 playing in my mind, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit with in me. Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of my salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit.” I learned that song when I was young, and I have been humming it a lot lately. I find that I need to constantly be aware of and guard against things that would dirty my heart and rob me of my joy.  If you are like me, maybe it’s hard to keep quiet when we see what is happening in our culture; or we quickly judge others in our hearts without knowing the whole story. When people make extreme statements to persuade us a certain way, instead of listening and holding our tongue we’d like to express our opinions and make statements to correct. Our hearts can get dirty mighty quick, if not by what we say, by what we are thinking in our hearts! I have to clean our apartment more often now as it is smaller than our former house and seems to get messed up quickly. But it feels good when I take the time to clean the smudges off the frig, shake the rugs, scrub the floor etc.  Likewise, how quickly our hearts get stained and David tells us where to go to be cleansed, for all of our sins, big or small, are really against the Lord. David says further on in the Psalm, “Purify me and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” Now there are sins that are obvious to us and we know we need to confess; but we also have sins that are more hidden and sometimes we are unaware of them but they trip us up. We can ask the Holy Spirit to reveal those sin areas of our lives so we can be clean and have a fresh start. When we hold on to those sin patterns, we miss out on the joy of the Lord. Nothing is worth hanging onto when we fail to experience closeness to Him. We find a wonderful release in our spirit when we admit and come clean and ask for forgiveness. Let us not put it off today!
Challenge for today: Read Psalm 51 as your prayer to the Lord.
Have a blessed day and prayers and love, Judy
 

February 22, 2021

February 22, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Dear Ones,
Hope you had a good weekend! We got more snow yesterday but is melting today. This morning I made individual egg dishes and went to Aldi’s and to my exercise class. We are off soon to do some errands this afternoon.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
How much do we really trust God? Do we trust Him completely with our lives or do we waver especially when going through hardship? This morning I was reading about the Apostle Paul and all that he and other believers suffered for Christ. He said in I Cor 1:8 (God’s Word) that the suffering was so extreme that it was beyond their ability to endure but…. The but is important as he said in verse 9, “But we suffered so that we would stop trusting ourselves and learn to trust God, who brings the dead back to life.” Why are we surprised when we go through suffering since we were told that this would happen? Our culture paints the picture of being happy all the time and doing whatever we need to, to make us happy.  Even some Christians think that life should be all roses, but it involves hardship, sweat, and work as well. Gen, who has stage 4 cancer and who so many are praying for, asked family and friends to listen to Pastor Phil Manginelli’s message on hardship. He told the story of when he was newly married and he and his wife had their first fight. He had no clue what he had done but instead of letting the problem separate them, he tried to get on the same side of the problem. Whenever we have trials, it is important to partner with the Lord and not let it separate us from Him. Pastor shared how hardship isn’t something we should run from, for in the midst of our pain and struggles, God shows us who He is and waits to bless us. Rather than viewing our struggle as the enemy and trying to get out of it, see how it brings us closer to the Lord. Suffering is not a sign of God’s absence but an invitation of His presence. It is almost like a mystery unfolding when we see how God uses hardship to work glory into our lives and gives us joy in our trials. When I look back on a hard trial that we went through in one of our churches, I am left with such gratitude and praise for how the Lord carried us through; we leaned heavily on Him and knew our future was entirely in His hands. Whatever we go through today or the future, we need to humble ourselves and get on the same side as God. He will give us strength to act and will equip us for whatever is ahead. Let us trust Him in the hardships and pain and welcome His plan for our lives.
Challenge for today:  Trust God in your whatever you are going through and lean into Him.
Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy
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