Enjoy the Harvest
As a busy wife/worker/mother/student, you often look ahead—to the next meal to cook, the next gift to purchase, the next test to take.
But don’t forget that God also wants you to look behind.
Remember the good things that the Lord has already accomplished through the work of your hands—the friends you comforted, the prayers you offered, the Bible verses you shared.
As you enter this harvest time of year, celebrate the bounty by giving God praise for it. Taste and enjoy his fruit, ripened from seeds planted earlier.
- Praise him for walking through trials with you
Aren’t you glad he never left your side, even in the darkest times? Even when you weren’t aware of his company? The Lord was there, offering his resources to you for comfort and growth. Tell him now how much you appreciate his perpetual presence and his immeasurable mercy.
- Praise him for answering prayers so wisely
We often ask God for things, but then forget to thank him for his answers. Review your past requests. Are you thankful some were NOT answered like you originally wanted? That others were answered just as you had hoped? Acknowledge that your Father knows what is best for you, then thank him for his perfect and loving answers, even the ones you didn’t understand.
- Praise him for blessings he showered on you
Reminisce about the overflowing kindnesses you’ve been shown, the joyous events you’ve experienced, and even the temptations you’ve escaped due to his strength and power. Thank God for every good gift you’ve received; they’re all from his hand.
Remembering God’s goodness in your past increases your joy with him in the present. And it motivates your heart to continue seeking him in your future, in the next season ahead.
So delight in the Lord’s harvest. Let it be your beautiful testimony to the world about how good God is, in all seasons of life.
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What blessing has God showered on you this year? Please share in the comments.
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Lisa, thank you for this post. In the midst of an already stressful day (and it’s not quite 6:00 yet!), I needed this. To remember God’s goodness and faithfulness. Because He’s given great gifts and gifts of His presence in the past, I know He will continue to do so in my present and future.
Such a timely post for me.
I love this, Lisa! Looking back on God’s goodness is powerful and so encouraging! As we head into a busy autumn season, I’m claiming these truths for today!
Good thoughts Lisa. We are often told “look ahead” and “think ahead.” I think there is also good cause to “look behind.” if we don’t learn from our mistakes we are doomed to repeat them. We are also apt to forget God’s goodness, especially in times of difficulty now.
Absolutely!! Amen! Amen, Lisa!! Thanks for the good reminder. It also echos with the truth John wrote….we can overcome the enemy’s devices by the word of our testimony and His shed blood.
My orientation is toward the future, so it takes real energy for me to stop that momentum and purposefully look backward, but it’s so important for me to do. One behavior I noticed is that even in recording blessings in my gratitude journal, I was writing events and gifts that were GOING TO happen that day, instead of thanking God for the already given.
Lisa, I love this post so much! This is such a good and needed reminder. Thank you for sharing this!
This is so great, Lisa! God has blessed me in so many ways and it changes my outlook dramatically to praise Him for the past.
Sweet reminder to look back with thanks! Thank you Lisa!
Amen! Thank you, Lisa, for this reminder. It helps so much to remember God’s goodness in the past. It gives us a different perspective for today and fortifies us for what lies ahead. Love and hugs to you!
Our church has been reading through the psalms together, and so many times there, and all through the Bible, God takes His people back through their past history and His dealings with them. How neat to think of harvesting, not just physical crops, but the blessings and remembrances of God’s hand in our lives.
What a great reminder, Lisa! I call this “Stones of Remembrance” (inspired by Joshua 4). I have a little notebook I use for this purpose and leave it out for my family to peruse as desired. It’s so, so good to remind ourselves of His faithfulness to us.
Lisa,
I am thankful for how God continues to pull me closer to Him and for all the healing He has already done in different areas of my life 🙂 Thanks for asking 🙂
Thank you for this beauty. I am trying to wrap my brain around the fact that today is the first day of fall. It is harvest time. But taking time to see the fruit and thanking God for it is the perfect way to begin this new season.
It makes a difference to have him with me in the dark times. In the past I have rejected him and pushed him away. This time I dragged him down with me, partly I think because I was angry. The whole (short) episode was exhaustng (involving family drama as well as the self-created nonsense), but I had my eyes open, emerged with a firmer resolve, and I think I have grown substantially.
I have a fabulous new client — money, tech, people, all wonderful — and I remember when it was sealed that I explicitly thought of it as an answer to my prayers (boring prayers about money and work). That is the first time I’ve thought like that. Another line I’ve crossed I suppose.
When I think of “blessings” I always think of people. So many angels have touched me over the years, while I’ve been raging and wandering.
Thank you for this reminder to give thanks.
“So when I feel like giving up
When I feel like throwing it all away
I look back over my shoulder
And I can see Your goodness every single step that I have taken” Pat Barrett
This post reminds me of this song. So many blessings and goodness this year. New church (and still friends with friends from my old church), new job, leading BSF. So many things. God is always good!