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Diligence: “Make Hay While the Sun Shines”

“Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don’t know if profit will come from one activity or another—or maybe both.”

Ecclesiastes 11:6 NLT

Lawnmower_and_grass Diligence: Make Hay While the Sun Shines One morning I received a call from our lawn service guy. It was the day his team was scheduled to come cut our grass. He informed me that he thought it was going to rain that day so they’d try and come out on the following weekend to do the cut. No, I thought! Not good! He and his team had missed cutting the grass for the last couple of weeks. They’d committed to come take care of this today. Am I being too impatient, I wondered? I went outside and stared at the lawn again. Two beaver-looking critters scurried underneath the fence when they heard me approaching. A third lingered boldly, as if invited to a grassy buffet in our backyard. Nope, I am definitely not being too impatient; our lawn was in desperate need of a thorough cutting. These guys need to come out and take care of business this morning! I called our guy back and urged him to come cut the grass that very morning, before any rain hit, since it wasn’t raining yet! They came and cut the entire lawn before one raindrop fell. I wouldn’t be surprised if they also got in several other lawns before any rain fell that day because it didn’t rain until that evening! Our lawn guy thought he knew when the rain would come but he really didn’t. He was willing to put the work off just a little longer in anticipation of an outcome for which he had no control.Rodent_eating_grass Diligence: Make Hay While the Sun Shines

But, this tendency isn’t just a temptation for the lawn guy. How often do we put off doing what we know to do because of our own uncertainty of the outcome? We don’t share with others what God’s done in our life to change us for the better because we don’t know for sure what the results will be. What if we go all out and become vulnerable and nobody wants to talk with us? What if we share what He’s done in our life and nobody accepts what we’ve presented?

We’re reminded by our verse today to stay steadfast whether we know the outcome of our efforts or not. We are to keep working in what the Lord’s called us to do. We are limited by human understanding, however, God, who knows all things, has provided us directions to follow. Shouldn’t we be diligent in our obedience to the Lord?

By grace through faith,

Rita

“Taking Back The Family” (A word from Brazil)

Thank you Adriana, for this dose of encouragement.

Blessings,

Brenda

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“’For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.’”

Jeremiah 29:11

ENGLISH TBTF200X250These days I’ve been thinking about the prophet Jeremiah, and I thank God for his life, for how he lead the people who were captive in Babylon to know and to understand what God expected of them at that moment, so that in the future His plans would come to pass among them, and so that they would be able to reap the fruits of obedience.

Today God continues to reveal Himself through His Word, and He has given us a precious tool – the principles contained in Taking Back the Family. In a very clear way, God has spoken to us as He spoke to Jeremiah, in order that we may know and understand what He expects of us today as servants, women, wives, and mothers, so that we, too, will be able to reap the fruit we so desire, through obedience. That is, a family, which enjoys healthy relationships, and full satisfaction in the Lord, so that He can fulfill His purpose in us.

May we always remind ourselves that God’s plans are good, and every time that we call on Him in prayer, He will hear us!

Let us move forward in this confidence, not allowing any thoughts that are contrary to this Truth find a place in our hearts.

OUR FAITH WILL DETERMINE THE BLESSINGS THAT WILL COME.

May the Lord be glorified through our lives, today and forever.

Adriana Marques

Brazil

GOD IS ON THE MOVE!

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. 

Ephesians 3:20

 

Dear Readers,

Gala_Tom_&_BrendaExcitement and tears mingle as I write to you this morning. A major milestone has just passed. Daily Dose of Encouragement is no more, but this blog is. I feel teary eyed at the passing of the old, yet beside myself with excitement for the new. I have to admit I had a hard time giving up the old format at first. I loved having God’s Word go forth from our website five days a week. As much as I love that, I hate something else more. Quitting. Quitting anything. Anytime. I’ve always believed the old saying that quitters never win, and winners never quit.

So, I’m not.

What I am doing, what ZMI is doing, is moving forward in obedience to His calling and His direction. This change is His direction. The message never changes but sometimes the method of getting that message out does.

Sometime ago I shared the following story with you, and the Lord brought it back to my memory today. It is so relevant for now – for such a time as this!

“I don’t know how I’m going to do all this Lord. So much is happening in the ministry, good things, in so many different places. You know I’m not equipped to handle it! We need volunteers Lord! We need workers, for the fields really are white unto harvest! And we need the financial resources to do what you’ve called us to do.” 

“It’s way above my head God. I see the giants all around us. What do I do?”  

The room was dark and Tom slept soundly beside me, muffled snores the only thing breaking the silence. And of course my thoughts were whirling as I lay beside him,  wide awake at 3:00 a.m. Getting up for the third time, I decided to take Clayton King’s advice and start reading Deuteronomy, hoping I’d fall asleep within 7 verses like he said. 

Instead of making me fall asleep, God used what I call the Reminder Book, Deuteronomy, to remind me again of His faithful leading since the time He called me to this mission of ZMI Family Ministries International.  

He reminded me He is the One who has done it, and will continue to do it. My calling is simply to obey, to speak the truth of His Word in love, and to follow His lead. And to do it at His speed, baby step by baby step, or to run with Him, however He chooses. Right now, he has me running faster than I ever thought I could go. 

He reminded me not to be afraid of the giants – those threatening details – that try to stand in the way of the mission. He will provide.

Back in bed, I finally fell asleep sometime after 4:30 a.m…” 

That is God’s promise to all of us. He has a mission, a plan, for all our lives. When we let Him, He will do it in and through us.  

Confirmation. It’s like a breath of fresh air when you need it most. Yes, the mission He started years ago will move forward as He leads. We will not stop because of giants in the land. I really do believe that the best is yet to come and I’d love for you to be a part of it!

Dear one has God called you to a mission and you’ve been afraid to move forward? Are the giants plaguing you with doubt? Don’t listen!

I invite you to join us on mission right here at home or in a foreign land. God has a plan for you! Time is short. The need is great! We have so many opportunities for ministry, yet so few workers for the harvest. If you’d like to serve on our volunteer team – behind the scenes – or helping to lead the pack, please email me! brenda@zmiinternational.org

As the ministry has grown, so has our vision to reach further than we ever dreamed. As God sends new opportunities. This new blog is one way we can share those opportunities, such as the upcoming International Missions Holiday Gala, which will take place on November 20. Last year’s event was awesome and we’d love to have you join this year!  We’d love for you to see for yourself what God has done among us in 2015!  Just email me at the address above and I’ll get you all the information for what we believe will be one of the greatest nights in the history of ZMI!

Ponder these things as you go about life today, and listen to this song as you begin the pondering. Just click the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSRkM5kOEV0&index=1&list=PL_nGHsLuC1cUtVtf32KXZs0LLqSf0MZCd

I will look forward to hearing from you!

As always

Your Traveling Partner,

Brenda Lancaster

Author/Founder/Director