As I passed the vase of flowers I noticed one of the buds had fallen to the table still closed tightly like a tube. I intended to throw the bud away but something nudged me to open its petals. I gently pushed the flower open to see the seeds inside.

As I examined the contents, the Holy Spirit spoke this to me, "Trust that the seeds are there even when you can't see them."

My friends, this goes to even broader places than we what we usually talk about here at SUM. I want to propose a question to you that hit me in a quiet moment with God and has me thinking on a scale I never anticipated.

I believe God is calling us to use all that we are learning about living in mismatched marriage and apply it to the world. To our neighbors, to our friends, to our cities and to our government.

You see, we are also spiritually mismatched with the world. Like in a marriage we are desperate to live our faith in a way that is faithful to God and yet respectful to those around us.

The title of our first book is Winning Him Without Words. What if we applied that goal to the world?

Winning the World Without Words.

I'm not saying we shouldn't speak our beliefs and share Christ. We don't say that in our book either. What I'm saying is what if we left the changing and the saving to God and just did the loving?

This world needs love desperately. God's love. And God is calling His people to love like never before. It is the very heart and breath of this Great Harvest that He is calling us to see and be a part of.

By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” — John 13:35

God started this process in our homes, our very hearts and now is asking us to bring it to the world. And loved one, if you are sitting there in the middle of a crumbling marriage, a separation, or a divorce, I want you to hear God's heart right now.

You are part of this Great Harvest. Just because your situation isn't what you expected, that does not negate all that God has done, is doing and will do in your life. It neither defines who you are, determines how God loves you (it's a done deal—He adores you!), nor does it limit or keep you on the sidelines.

We, the SUMites, have some of the most unique faith skills and experience of all. No wonder God is calling us up to this great calling! We walk and learn everyday what God wants the whole world to know.

That God loves us, even when we don't love Him. He loves us first.

And when we love, we plant seeds. It's not our job to change the world, just like it’s not up to us to change our spouse. Our job is just to love those that God leads us to each day. Sometimes we will see the fruit of the seeds we plant, many times we won't.

But God wants us to trust the seeds are there, even if we don't see the sprouts. Whether that applies to our prebeliever (I'm right there with you in that I see no changes in my husband), a family member, a neighbor, or our cities—believe that the seeds are there and will one day bear fruit.

The amazing thing is this. When we do this, when we keep our motivations in a place of love because we want that person to know Jesus as we do, to know His love for us, His heart for us, His promises for us, His freedom that He died to give us, change happens. It’s starts small and grows like wild fire.

The seeds of God’s love are the spark of the revival that’s coming. 

God's love is the most powerful force in heaven and earth. When we love like this, we are literally bringing heaven down to earth, bringing God's will to earth as it is in heaven (remember the Lord's Prayer?).

That is where our strength lies, my friends. In God's love. I have no doubt that God is moving each of us into unique places to expand what we have been learning to be a part of His Great Harvest.

And those seeds we are planting are God's promises and they extend far beyond us and our children.

For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” — Acts 2:39

Abba, we stand ready at the edge of the Great Harvest and want to be faithful to Your call. Lead us forward, King Jesus. Lead us to the many you are calling to Yourself. Show us how to love each one, especially the prebelievers in our homes. Fill us with Your love—so full that our loved ones and the world will see You shining through us. Lord, open their eyes! Help them see that love is for them too! In Your holy and powerful name, Jesus, amen!

Planting seeds with you, my precious friends!
Dineen 

Image credit: itana / 123RF Stock Photo