“Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.“Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!”
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
“Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me!”(from the hymn, Great is The Faithfulness)
This time of year seems to be a time of reflecting. Summer is a time of activity and productivity; fall is a time of pulling out and leaving the ground empty during the colder temperatures and harsher winds.
We uprooted and relocated some plants and a small tree early in the summer. Little did we expect the unusually hotter than normal temps and the drought which hit. We wonder which will do well and return to life in the spring.
Sowing and reaping is a funny process for at the time of sowing, one truly has no idea of the amount which will be reaped.
Garden plants of fruits and vegetables are so impacted by the weather and weather is out of our control. There is only One who knows the full extent a harvest will bring forth, and in His infinite wisdom He has given us instructions regarding our harvests.
Let’s think of harvest as that which we have worked for, our gains:
“Honor the Lord from your wealth and from the first of all your produce;
So your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will overflow with new wine.”
(Proverbs 3:9-10, NASB)
Here we read of the principle of giving back to God, especially from the very first of one’s harvest. Today it may be known as a tithe or offering. But we are also given further instruction:
‘When you reap
the harvest of your land, moreover,
you shall not reap to the very
corners of your field nor gather the gleaning of your harvest;
you are
to leave them for the needy and the alien. I am the Lord your God.’”
(Leviticus 23:22, NASB)
The people were instructed not to reap to the very edges of their land. The harvest in the corners were to be left for the needy, the alien, the widows, and the orphans.
With these instructions and formula, everyone will be cared for and there will be provision for all.
First we give back to God,
then we tend to the needs of our own families,
and then we care for others.
“More than anyone, gardeners know that the harvest is unpredictable; gardeners know that you can work and do your best, and the elements can still turn against you. More than anyone, those who work the fields know how quickly life can change, how quickly you yourself could be the needy. And so, more than anyone, they know that the wild abundance of harvest is to be shared.”
(from Turning of Days by Hannah Anderson, page 94)
“Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure –
pressed down, shaken together, and running over.
For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”
(Luke 6:38, NASB)
What does this change of seasons speak into your life?
Photo by Maria Velniceriu on Unsplash
I love that portion of scripture: God provided for the poor, orphans, and widows beautifully with this command. Fall is a wonderful time of year for me now. It's a season of preparation and hope in a way as you sow your plants for the spring. Although the winter is coming and may be long, spring will come again.
ReplyDeleteThis time of the year goes straight to my heart. Our tomatoes this summer did not produce a very healthy harvest - and I am thankful for the harvest of others. The reminder to not hoard but to share in the goodness that God has provided. Just the other day, my husband was talking about how all his great-uncles used to help each other during the harvest - on their farms - the importance of hearts that want to share - both in the work and in the harvest make such a difference in the quality of life in a community.
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