Where's the Joy?

"Joy comes from seeing the complete fulfillment of the specific purpose for which I was created and born again, not from successfully doing something of my own choosing. The joy our Lord experienced came from doing what the Father sent Him to do. And He says to us, "As the Father has sent Me, I also send you". "

-Oswald Chambers- My Utmost for His Highest

You Will Be Clean

"For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God." - Ezekiel 36:24-29

I love the promises in these verses.
He will bring us back into our own land, our true home.
He will make us clean, cleansing from us all impurities so that we are fully sanctified.
He will give us a new heart.
He will remove the heart of stone and make it a heart of flesh.
And He will put his Spirit in us.
We will be His people and He will be our God.

Amen.

Love Right There

There are days when God feels far away even though I know in my mind He is not. Yesterday was one of those days. But I went to the park and I listened to this song and suddenly God felt much closer. This song always reminds me that nothing I can do can make me lose God's love. It's always there even when I falter and fall. His love sustains and is always present even when I can't see it or feel it.

You Cannot Lose My Love by Sara Groves:

You will lose your baby teeth.
At times, you'll lose your faith in me.
You will lose a lot of things,
But you cannot lose my love.

You may lose your appetite,
Your guiding sense of wrong and right.
You may lose your will to fight,
But you cannot lose my love.

You will lose your confidence.
In times of trial, your common sense.
You may lose your innocence,
But you cannot lose my love.

Many things can be misplaced;
Your very memories be erased.
No matter what the time or space,
You cannot lose my love.
You cannot lose,
You cannot lose,
You cannot lose my love.

Endless Want

The Redemptive Pursuit devotionals this week featured an amazing piece by Laura Ziesel on endless want.

Check it out here: http://t.co/BpOKsbO

If you like what you see you can sign up to receive the devos on a weekly basis here:

http://eepurl.com/dcev-/

Weekly Devotionals for Women

Hello Readers!

I and a few other lady friends including will be starting a series of women's devotionals that will be sent out on a weekly basis. They will be sent out beginning Monday. If you would like to receive them in your inbox you can sign up for them here:

http://eepurl.com/cWPGM

You can also visit our website here:

http://www.theredemptivepursuit.com

And follow us on twitter here:

http://www.twitter.com/RPDevotionals

Spirit Filled

"To begin praying for the operations of the Holy Spirit is not simply a matter of scheduling more time for it! We have to repent for the reasons we haven't been praying for them. We must reflect on biblicl passages, recall the strongest works of the Holy Spirit in our lives and consider the lives of men and women in history or the present that show us what the Spirit can do in a human life. We have to stir up a vision in our minds and a passion in our hearts for what the Spirit can do in us, and then pray with energy and endurance for the Spirit to come."

-"Prayer" A Bible study by Tim Keller

Your Clay Pot Assignment

"And why have I called you for this work?...I called you by name when you did not know me. I am the Lord; there is no other God. ...Destruction is certain for those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot ever argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it saying, 'Stop you are doing it wrong! ' Does the pot exclaim, 'How clumsy you can be!'" -Isaiah 45:4-5, 9 New Living Translation

I came across these verses this morning and it spoke to me about how much of a mental complainer I often am about the assignment God gives me. Whether it's a long term assignment like the job I am holding for a season or a short term assignment like the way I am forced to spend my weekend doing chores I'd rather not, I often find myself frustrated by the tasks I have to complete.

But these verses remind me that God created me. And because He created me, He's the best one to dole out the assignments.

When the potter sits down at his wheel, he knows if he is molding the clay into a pot to carry water, a pot for decoration, a cooking pot, etc. The clay is being shaped by its creator for the purpose it will serve.

In the same way, I am being shaped by my Creator. My view of the purposes and plans God's has for me are confined to the past and present of my life. They do not take into account a Creator who stands outside of time and sees how my life intersects with the others He has created to unfold His plans for all time. And the more I try to live my life grumbling and moaning about the assignments He has given me for the here and now the more selfishly I am living. The more I am living outside of the design He has for me. And the more I am, essentially, arguing with my Creator.

And who am I as the clay to argue with the Master Potter?

P.S. Original photo link here.