God's Love towards Us

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us...

1 John 4:10

I realized today that I don't really know the love of God. I have not understood it, nor have I embraced it. I have been reluctant to receive the fullness He offers, and most horribly, I have not loved others with the love of God, as He would love have me love them. Thankfully the Father's love towards us (towards me) does not condemn my failure, nor my weakness. That's the whole point.

My version of love has been based on soulish, selfish gain. I loved to be loved--by my parents as a child and later by God. It didn't matter to me if my spouse, children or friends found me unlovable--I didn't care because I knew God loved me. I was willing to totally dedicate myself to pleasing God. Any sin or selfishness--weakness--in me was put under control of my spirit--submitted to the Holy Spirit. God's strength came through to overshadow my weakness with His strength--for His glory. I hate my weaknesses. I even encouraged others to trust God to overcome any weakness that might beset them. All good and scriptural, however: The wholeness and fullness of God's love fills our weakness without always necessarily removing it.

I recently heard Pastor Tom Smardz say, "God himself has a weakness, it is us." God loves us! This is in spite of our weaknesses, our ungodliness. While we were yet sinners, God loved us so much that He sent His son Jesus to die in our place so that we could be reconciled to a holy, righteous, and just God. I only need to accept Him for who He is--my Lord and my God. He loves us in an unconditional way beyond our comprehension. I am my Father's weakness--yet he accepts me and loves me, filling my weakness with His love for His glory.

My own weakness is my husband's current illness. His illness has made him very different than the man I married--at least temporarily. Our changed lives, my responsibilities and my caring for him exhausts me so much that I feel I have no energy to be who God has called me to be. In fact my personality and character flaws are now brought out by him, instead of my gifts, talents--my best--as it once was, when we would minister together. I often abhor myself when my attitude and sharp tongue fall far short of God's love and mercy. I miss the opportunity to honor my husband--when he needs it most.

Yet I am absolutely powerless to change--for the first time in my life I feel really powerless in this situation. I trust God, I have faith that He can do something to redeem the situation. However, I can only throw up my hands in further frustration, as I seem to sink lower instead of rising above my sin and weakness. I have often felt a bit like Job. But for the first time in my life, I really feel as if I am sitting on an ash heap--scraping my hideous boils with a sharp rock--alone--with no one to really confide in. Friends encourage me pointing out my godly responses and basically perpetuating my hatred of my weakness--yet this weakness is the cross that I am to take up, to embrace, so that God can transform me and the situation.

Jesus took up His cross submitting to an unjust death, rejection and torture. In His submission the entire scenario transformed from what appeared to be Satan's greatest victory--into Satan's ultimate defeat. The cross is a heavy, back breaking burden--too much to bear. Yet we are told to take up our cross and follow Jesus. Denying yourself the little things in life prepares you to carry the cross the Lord has destined for you in your path towards Christ-likeness. Jesus' motivation was His love, that must be ours--to love as He loves. Pure and unquestioning love for God, trust and obedience, are indeed pleasing to God. However scripture states:

My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

2 Corinthians 12:9

His grace is His love gift that cannot be earned and is never deserved. This perfect(mature/complete) love fills to overflowing as we allow Him to fill our weakness that we might reflect His glory in the midst of any trial. He is worthy of our trust. He is worthy of our praise. Always...

Copyright © 2008 by Ruth Mayfield All rights reserved. These articles may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, by including this notice.

God's Book of Remembrance

How often do we as believers get together with friends and family for fellowship? It can be at a worship service, over a meal or coffee, or a chance meeting on the street--perhaps even on a cell phone! We find ourselves rehearsing the testimony that the Lord has given us of how He has spoken to us this week, or blessed us with health, wisdom or miracles! We can't wait to share how God continues to smile upon our lives even when we are so far from perfect.

Recently we were previledged to spend the better part of a day with a very good friend. We shared our plans, our burdens and difficulties and then spent some time in prayer asking for God's Wisdom and Guidance, healing and grace. We continued talking of how God has been faithful to us through the adversity each of us has walked through during the past year. Each of us has some very difficult things we are currently going through--burdens which could really shake our faith. Yet we shared and encouraged each other God's Faithfulness. He is amazing! He intervenes and takes big impossibilities and turns them into blessings for His Glory. It is so exciting to sit and watch, with our minimal participation (and sometimes in spite of us), God will accomplish His plan and purpose in our lifes as we allow Him to. The more we cooperate the easier the path may be, but that doesn't usually mean easy paths and abundant provision. The Lord has orchestrated a beautifully complex mosaic of people's lifes that interconnect and His purposes are often to purify and beautify us from the inside out, all the while desiring to have more intimate relationships with us. That we might get to know Him more and more.

Most of us understand that the Lord desires to commune with us, even as He communed with Adam in the Garden of Eden. He sent Jesus to die a cruel death so that we might receive forgiveness through His shed Blood and be reconciled to God through faith in Jesus as Messiah. Jesus taught us to pray after the pattern of what we refer to as the Lord's Prayer. The Gospels tell of Jesus' relationship with the Father, drawing away from the crowds to spend intimate time with God. All that Jesus accomplished, was because He said and did only what He saw the Father saying and doing. Jesus is our example. It is absolutely essential for us in today's world to separate ourselves and spend time in the presence of God, even as Jesus did--if we want to walk in the Spirit as the Apostle Paul admonishes us.

But did you realize that Father God is also pleased when we boast in Him? When we share how our faithful God is blessing us and impacting our lives, intervening as we appeal to Him in Jesus' Name, when we tell others about answered prayer--God is listening with a smile on His face. Sharing testimonies, telling how we see God as Awesome, sharing our wonder and delight in His Word are all things that delight the Lord's heart.

Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not. Malachai 3:16-18

A Book of Remembrance--a record for all eternity. You are considered a jewel in the Lord's eyes as you speak His praises! How He delights in our delight in Him! I pray that each of us will spend more time expounding on the goodness of God, His wonderful provision and protection--and most of all His Glorious Magnificance. May His presence manifest more and more in our lives that we might multiply our magnification of Him!

Copyright © 2008 by Ruth Mayfield All rights reserved. These articles may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, by including this notice.

Almond Blossoms--Manifesting the Kingdom of God

One of the first signs of spring in Jerusalem is the bursting forth of almond blossoms. The flowers are a joyful reminder to most of the Lord's faithful rebirth in the earth each spring. The beautiful flower laden branches cheer the soul as they catch the brilliant spring sunlight and dance as the warming breezes blow. They seem to appear almost overnight.

Isaiah 61:11 For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.

In scripture there is a flower featured on the menorah--the lamp stand that stood in the holy place representing the presence of God. It was never to be allowed to be extinguished. The instructions for creating the menorah speak of branches, knops, bowls like almonds, and flowers. (Exodus 25:31-40) It seems obvious the flowers would have been almond blossoms. (knops are ornamental knobs--pomegranate like decorations) Some believe this flower was a reminder of the budding of Aaron's rod in Numbers 17. Aaron's rod budded, blossomed and even yielded almonds overnight. This sign showed God's choice of Aaron's tribe alone as priests. Because only God can give life, those in opposition were silenced. Later this rod was housed in the Ark of the Covenant--a constant reminder of God's promises to spring forth in their season--His timing. It also represents annihilation of the opposition--evil influences and ultimately evil itself.

Bet-El, or Bethel--house of God, was previously called Luz (Hebrew for almond tree)--a city of flourishing almond trees. This is where Jacob received the dream of the ladder to heaven with angels ascending and descending (Genesis 28:11-22). It seems significant that the Lord would choose to speak his promise to Jacob while sleeping with his head on a rock in this place. Jacob also vows to make the Lord his God after this encounter--the encounter terrified him. We know that Jacob possessed God’s favor after this and his enemies were subdued—with no great effort on Jacob’s part.

The almond blossom, a singular manifestation of the glorious presence of God, is His sign to us of the springing forth of His soon coming Kingdom. Indeed, the Kingdom of God has already been manifested on the earth in the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and then further expanded as the disciples received the manifestation and power to continue its expansion on this earth at Pentecost. Gross darkness may be appearing all around us today, however the Lord's Light and Life is expanding exponentially--we only see through a glass darkly (1 Corinthians 13:12). The enemy trembles as the Kingdom of God is manifesting in our lives and is dawning in the areas we take authority over.

Here in Israel where almond trees are frequently found, their budding is a recurring sign of hope for the Orthodox Jews who are very familiar with these Old Testament scriptures. Hope in God's ability to restore and renew, also of God's judgment on those opposed to His plan. The almond budding and blossoming brings hope and joy to all who pass by, unaware of the sign the Lord is giving them. We as believers should not just idly pass by without notice. God is speaking, He will soon thunder. We must take thought, cooperate in prayer, and praise for His soon return and the continual expansion of His Kingdom until then. If we want to see His Glory, we must open our spiritual eyes.

Such a simple, beautiful, yet powerful sign--the almond is beginning to blossom.

Jeremiah 1:11-12 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree. Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.

Copyright © 2008 by Ruth Mayfield All rights reserved. These articles may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, by including this notice.

Prayer--Communing with God

Have you ever noticed that when you hang around someone a lot, you begin to talk like they do? You pick up on their phraseologies and follow their train of thought, and sometimes begin to make it your own? Hmmm... maybe if we spent that much time with the Lord, we might begin to reflect His ideas, His perspective, His words....

When God speaks, it is usually brief and to the point. Read/scan the Bible from the perspective of really paying attention to the things God is saying. He is a man of few words. I mainly read the KJV, and I have heard some adapt the flowery KJV prayers, but in conversations with God--beginning in the Old Testament you get a pretty good feel of God's very different mode of conversation. I think the only time He got long winded was at the end of Job :)

"Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell Me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone--while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, when I said, 'This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt'? Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place, that it might take the earth by the edges and shake the wicked out of it? The earth takes shape like clay under a seal; its features stand out like those of a garment. The wicked are denied their light, and their upraised arm is broken. Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea or walked in the recesses of the deep? Have the gates of death been shown to you? Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death? Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth? Tell Me, if you know all this." Job 38

If we don't spend much time with the Lord in prayer and reading the Bible, we could misunderstand what He is trying to communicate. The Bible says the Lord knows what our needs are even before we ask, yet he wants us to have communion with Him--to ask expecting to receive His mercy, grace and love in our situation. If we ask with hearts and attitudes of trust and thanksgiving, it really only takes a few words to ask Him to intervene in a given situation.

Too often we tell God how to answer our prayers instead of letting the God who knows best, be God. We tend to rely on ourselves, or man, to meet our needs, and when it doesn't seem to be working--we go to God to have him fix everything our way. How sad that we don't go to Him first--thanking Him for being the loving Lord of our lives who meets our needs each day, and worshipping Him for what He does in and through us--as well as His provision for us and our loved ones. A totally different attitude toward prayer.

Read the Psalms. David and others did some venting, even complaining to God for their hardships. But the theme of praise, thanksgiving and trust underlies every Psalm. The writers are human just like ourselves, yet they chose to trust the faithfulness of the God who is Almighty to save, deliver and redeem them from every destruction. The God who sees all the details of our lives knows our needs and is big enough to meet them all.

Do we trust Him? Do we really believe He is loving and faithful? It is His faithfulness that is required to meet our every need. Our faith may fail, but His cannot. We can trust Him, and He longs to hear us tell Him we do. It releases His Hand to accomplish His purposes in our lives. Prayer is not really about us, but about Him. He desires to have intimate relationship with you, prayer is one of the vehicles He uses to accomplish this. Along with reading His Word and living a life style of Worship, we pray in order to commune in a two-way conversation with the Loving God of the Universe.

Copyright © 2007 by Ruth Mayfield All rights reserved. These articles may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, by including this notice.

Show Me Thy Glory

In Exodus chapter 33 Moses is having a conversation with God. The Lord is speaking to Moses face to face, as a man talks with his friend, verse 11. Moses first acknowledges God's favor and blessing. He then asks that God's presence go with the children of Israel as they travel to the promised land. He is requesting God's favor and blessing to continue with them. When the Lord agrees, Moses asks to see the Glory of God. The Lord responds in verse 19,

And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.

Then God hides Moses in the cleft of the rock, and allows him to view His backside, because no man can see the face of God and live-verse 23. Wow! It seems Moses was truly a privileged man to have such a relationship with the Father. Did he realize what he was asking? Did he know that this pleased God's heart because He wants relationship more than anything with his children? All the elders of Israel had rejected the presence of God. They pleaded with Moses to be an intermediary from the time God first began to converse with them on Mt. Sinai. Moses had to veil his face because of the residue of the presence of God could be seen on him--and the people couldn't handle it. It appears that among the people, only Joshua had the desire to be close to the Lord and Moses--verse 11.

There is enough in these verses to preach a sermon, or write a book, but I want to focus on Moses' personal request to see God's glory. It is important to view his request in context. Moses is not proud or haughty that he gets to have such intimate conversations with God. No one else wanted to be this close to God, and the Lord knew this about Moses when He called Moses from the burning bush back in Exodus 3. God's presence exposes every dark corner in our lives. Many of us would like to hide some things from everyone, including ourselves and God. Moses had laid himself bare before God, acknowledging his weaknesses and strengths. God in return began revealing Himself to Moses. Talking "face to face" means you listen, understand and can see from the other person's perspective on many topics. Anyone can "see" miracles that appear before their eyes, like the Israelites saw the Red Sea part, but few see the miracles that abound in our lives daily. They are the key to seeing God's glory.

For many years science has been exploring atoms. Though too small to see, they also reflect God's glory. Scientists have broken down the atom into subatomic particles and continue to attempt to discover more at this level. In 2004, the Nobel Prize for Physics [1] was given for theoretical contributions making it possible to complete the Standard Model of Particle Physics, the model that describes the smallest objects in Nature and how they interact. Scientists have broken down the forces of nature into four basic forces. Physics uses the term "strong force" or "colour force" to describe the force which holds the atom together. This is just one of the 4 forces of nature which they have had so much difficulty in explaining. The Bible tells us that it is by Jesus, that all things 'consist' (KJV)--or hold together. Red, blue and green quarks and their corresponding anti-red, anti-blue and anti-green anti-quarks in the nuclei of atoms are man's attempt to explain the 'force' holding atoms and the Universe together. We know that the creator of the Universe, is also the Force which gives us the 4 known basic forces of Nature. His name is Jesus.

Think about this. We are often in awe that the Lord would care about the details of our lives. Yet He cares enough to have designed the Universe itself to reflect His glory at every level. The Bible tells us the heavens declare the glory of God. Yet the further we explore space and simultaneously the more we do atomic research, it all points to the Great Designer and Creator, Jesus. You see God's signature is in every cell of our being, the molecules that make up our world and the atoms that are the building blocks of the entire universe. We just don't look from the perspective that allows us to see Him in it all.

Seeing God's glory is all about our perspective. We all know people who are negative or too positive in their perspective in life. Both are difficult to be around very much. As an example, on the negative side, I have met people who have a perspective of looking for a demonic cause for every little adversity. Yet not all problems are caused by demons. Some are caused by the flesh and some are simply caused by living in the world. On the positive side” few of us haven’t met someone whose bubbly conversations concerning their pets, the weather or even a relative’s funeral—make us wonder if they are on drugs or just out of touch with reality. We must keep a proper balance on Scripture and our perspective of God and the world we live in. If we hold to the Father’s perspective and really seek to have a 'face to face' relationship with him as Moses did, we will be positioning ourselves to see the Father’s glory and begin to see it and experience it in our lives. His glory is there--we haven't positioned ourselves to see it revealed.

There are some good songs, which are popular today, about seeing God's glory. Seeing God's glory doesn't mean seeing gold dust or a misty cloud, feathers or any other 'manifestation', although any of those may accompany His glory. Remember, our God is a consuming fire, Deuteronomy 4:24. All the dross, all the selfishness, anything that is not valuable from a heavenly perspective may be vaporized in God's presence. This means your house, your ministry, your retirement funds, even your family... Remember Job? His 10 adult children died in one day. He lost everything, including his health. Yet he was in God's will and God's plan for bringing ultimate blessings and glory. That was the Lord's intent all along. Hmmm... What are we willing to turn over to God? What price are we willing to pay to see His glory? ALL, is the only correct answer. We need to spend time in His presence and in His Word, to develop a relationship and perspective where we begin to see His glory in all the earth as well as reflect His glory in our own lives.

[1] http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/2004/public.html

Copyright © 2007 by Ruth Mayfield All rights reserved. These articles may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, by including this notice.