Harvest Blessings!

Harvest is a time we’ve all been waiting for. It is a time to reap what we have planted, tended, and believed for and a time to rejoice in the fruits of our labor. The Jewish people in the Old Testament celebrated three fall festivals, God’s appointed times celebrating the harvest gathering, times of rejoicing, and thanksgiving to God for His blessings (Leviticus 23:23-43).

As we turn towards the Thanksgiving and holiday seasons before us in the United States, it is a time to remember God’s blessings and thank and praise Him for all He has done during this past year to give Him a harvest of thanksgiving. No matter what we have faced these past months, there is no shortage of blessings. God has given us a harvest of blessings. We can be thankful for salvation, redemption, healing, deliverance, favor, provision, protection, guidance, peace, joy, family, spiritual gifts, talents, etc.

David gives us an example in Psalm 145, where He praises God for His goodness and His special favor to the righteous.

I will extol You, my God, O King, and I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall praise Your works to another and shall declare Your mighty acts. I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty And on Your wondrous works. Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, and I will declare Your greatness. They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness and shall sing of Your righteousness.
The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger, and great in mercy. The LORD is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.
All Your works shall praise You, O LORD, and Your saints shall bless You. They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom And talk of Your power, to make known to the sons of men His mighty acts and the glorious majesty of His kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations.
The LORD upholds all who fall And raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look expectantly to You, and You give them their food in due season. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.
The LORD is righteous in all His ways, gracious in all His works. The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them. The LORD preserves all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy. My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD, and all flesh shall bless His holy name forever and ever. Psalm 145:1 – 21

But we ought to make thanksgiving an intentional action every day of our lives. Many scriptures in the Bible remind us about the importance of keeping gratefulness and thanksgiving in our hearts and on our lips.

Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. Psalm 95:2
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations. Psalm 100:4 – 5

Take some time to recount what the Lord has blessed you with this past year, then meditate on the following verses and declare them unto the Lord and over your life!

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever. Psalm 107:1 NIV
Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. 1 Chronicles 16:34
And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:17
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57

I am thankful that I can share the Word of the Lord with you. I do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers (Ephesians 1:16).

I am thankful for God’s faithfulness during this past year and looking forward to seeing His hand at work in our lives during this coming year. Keep your eyes on Jesus. He will bring you through whatever circumstances and challenges lie ahead. Jesus never fails!

Prayer

Lord, may we never forget all that You do for us each day. Help us to be mindful of Your love, presence, and continued blessings.

Abundant Blessings!

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ® Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. http://www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. ®