Devotions from Judy’s heart

Yesterday morning I woke again to the moon streaming across the lake and beaming into the windows of our house.  It was like the Lord turned on the lights!. Then as I had my devotions, I was in Ps. 65 which seemed to express the coming forth of nature into Spring- time. It was evident when I walked the road that the buds are coming out now and all of nature is singing praise. “Those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe of your signs. You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy…….the pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy, the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together with joy.”  What an awesome picture and reminds me of the bursting forth of resurrection power. May we join all of creation in praise to our resurrected Lord who brought us into the Light and gives unspeakable joy!!!
Blessings on your Easter!

Devotions from Judy’s heart

So often here at Canaan we spend time around the table sharing. Sometimes so long that it is time for the next meal to be served.  In Derek Maal’s book, Reaching Towards Easter, he talks about Jesus meal with his friends just before His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. It was a time of reclining around the table with good friends, including Lazarus who was joyous in being alive.  “Sometimes we find ourselves in such a hurry to extract all the meaning possible from this time of the year that we forget to sit at the table with Jesus and to just be.  Jesus and his friends simply enjoyed the meal in Bethany… So I’m interested in a Lenten experience that for today at least puts “being” ahead of “doing”.  Many of us frantically “do” faith, showing up for every event at church, throwing ourselves into service and mission, tuning into Christian radio in our cars. We try hard to live the practical expression of a holy life. That’s fine. But what are we doing about being holy?”  Sometimes we just need to sit there and to be still and tune in to God’s voice. “Such a vital experience of being propels us into action, action grounded in a more vital connection to ‘the source of all being.’… Being moves us into Doing.!”  May He help us to prioritize and schedule more time to be at table with Him and then it will be an impetus for our doing!.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

“Before they call, I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear.” Isaiah 65:24   I was on my prayer walk a couple days ago and remembered I had forgotten to call in my order to my Schwan’s man. I was disappointed thinking we would run out of frozen yogurt long before he was scheduled to come again.( Al and I have frozen yogurt sundaes every evening!)   I thought I had missed him since our previous Schwan’s man only stopped when I called in ahead. But much to my surprise, I heard his truck stop out front and he asked what I might want. I was so delighted and he had exactly what I needed on his truck. I thought of how the Lord knows all of our needs and loves when we call upon Him. He is so ready to hear and His answers are on the way before we even verbalize them. But perhaps sometimes we can be like little children who say, “ I don’t need your help, I will do it myself!” So the parent has to wait until help is asked for and then answer and give  what is needed. Let us not hold back from calling out to the Lord and then remember to thank Him for the little and big things He sends…..Frozen yogurt is small compared to the wonderful things that He is waiting to give to us!!

 Devotions from Judy’s heart

On the way home from church today I noticed the lakes all have open water now and the waves have white caps. Just a short time ago the lakes were frozen solid but with the warm weather and windy days, everything is early this year.
As I took note of the change it made me think of our hearts, how often they are cold and frozen as the lake. We may get hurt from something that was said or done to us and our heart puts up walls. Soon we are cold inside and may not realize the gradual hardening. But when we come into the presence of love, our heart starts to melt. Sometimes it may take the winds of adversity to blow on us before we acknowledge how needy we are, in need of the Lord’s warming love.  The Lord searches our hearts. ( Rom. 8:27) and tells us not to harden them, (Ps. 95:8).  Also in Prov. 4:23 He tells us “Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.”
Let us be more alert that our hearts not turn cold and that the Lord can use us to share His warming love with others.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

This morning was foggy and we couldn’t see across the lake like we usually do. We were wishing the sun could break through and clear up the fog, as drove to church. Sometimes I think life is like that as the things we are going through are like a thick fog.we may not understand or see the purpose in the difficult circumstances. We know in our heads that the Lord is there in our midst but we may not sense His presence. Even though we hear that we should welcome problems and challenges, it is not easy to do. Just think of our own children when they were young. We could have tried to protect them from anything difficult but then how would they handle the big things in life later on? Jim Stovall writes, “Any problem that doesn’t defeat us, ultimately strengthens us.” We can often look back and see how things we went through that were so hard and challenging were actually a blessing in disguise. They strengthened our faith and helped us grow. As James 1 says, “Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.” But I must confess when the fog lifted, I am rejoicing in the sunshine now!

Devotions from Judy’s heart

I think we might all confess that at times we have “jumped the gun”. We don’t always think though things through enough or act before we have gotten specific instructions. I have done that as I play Scrabble on line with friends and relatives. I see a good move but don’t look over the board when there could be a super move somewhere else. I am learning to wait and look over the whole situation first.  One time I was excited to get 40 points but when I looked closer I was able to get 84 points!   There are times we may miss the best the Lord has for us because we think we know His will and rush to do it.  He would have us wait until it is “ripe and ready”. We settle for less because we are impatient and want to act. I read today from Ps 40, “I waited patiently for the Lord, He inclined to me and heard my cry. …set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.”  The Bible is so full of verses on waiting. One time David was instructed to wait until he heard the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees before striking down the Philistines, for the Lord was going to go before him.  ( II Sam 5:24)  Let us not jump the gun but wait until His ripe timing.  Then we will be in a secure place, upon a rock!

Devotions from Judy’s heart

Have you noticed how so often that people who have so little are the most thankful?   Some who have so much are often the least thankful. A grateful spirit is not based on what we have. In fact it isn’t having more that makes us happy. Sometimes we just need to dwell on the things we already have, and we will find our lives are already so full and overflowing. Paul said, ” In whatever condition I find myself, therein will I be content.”  If we just have food and clothes, we can be content!   When I was reading the “Ultimate Gift,” the character Jason, was to think of 10 things he was thankful for each day before he got out of bed. What a good exercise to practice! When we are full of gratitude it keeps negative thinking and bad attitudes far away and helps us to see the abundance that our Father showers on us.  ( Ps. 95:2 “Let us come before Him with thanksgiving.”)   Why not start tomorrow morning with  5 things that we are grateful for, and just maybe we won’t  be able to quit!

Devotions from Judy’s heart

Have you had the experience of going downstairs for something and forgetting what you went for? Memory lapses are not unusual especially the older we get or the more stressed we get. Many of these forgotten things are not highly important but as I was reading today from Deuteronomy 6, there are things we are to hold on to tightly. We are not to forget God’s rules and regulations and to love God with all our hearts and all our souls and all our strength. As we live in reverence before Him, we are to remember to teach our children and grandchildren how we were taken out of bondage into freedom. We are to talk about His commands from the time we get up in the morning until we go to bed at night. Over and over again we are reminded not to forget and to do what ever it takes to remember. Verse 9 says to inscribe them on the doorposts of your homes and on your city gates. (Today that may mean putting up meaningful pictures on our walls, scriptures where they are clearly visible, spiritual sayings on our computers etc.)  He has promised us a life of abundance, and let us not forget how He delivered us from bondage into the land flowing with milk and honey. We may forget why we went into the closet for something, but let us remember the really important things of all that He has done for us!!!!