Fall Harvest

"Praise be to the name of God forever and ever; wisdom and power are His. He changes times and seasons; He sets up kings and deposed them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning, He reveals deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him." (Daniel 2:20-22)

I always love and appreciate the changing of the seasons, and marvel at God's beautiful works; however fall is my favorite time of the year when the brilliance of the colors and the gradual cooling of the weather make everything fascinating! I anxiously wait for its arrival after the hot summer season, when beautiful colors of yellow, orange, and red make their appearance. It is the time of the year for me to slow down from all the seeds that have been planted during the busy summer season, and produce from the seeds (my talents and passions) what God has given me. I have the ability and the free will to choose when and how to cultivate those seeds. Unfortunately, I get so engaged in the abundance of activities during the summer, that I don't always focus on maturing and bearing my fruit.

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." (Galations 6:9)

Just as there are four seasons of nature, there are four seasons of life. Timing is important for each of these seasons, and I believe each season represents a different phase in our life to discover, accept, and appreciate God's perfect timing. Winter is a time for dreaming and making plans for our new year. Spring is the time to start planting and executing these plans. Summer is when we must prepare and mature our harvest. Finally, fall is when we gather and distribute our harvest. The book of Ecclesiastes reminds us that there is a time to be born, a time to die, a time to plant, a time to reap, a time to laugh, and a time to weep. There is a time for every purpose under heaven.

“But other seeds were planted on good ground and produced grain. They produced one hundred, sixty, or thirty times as much as was planted.” (Matthew 13:8)

 

We all want a good harvest; right? And seed placed in good soil will produce fruit; it will bear fruit that produces a good harvest. When we abide in Christ, we are producing the very fruit God wants us to produce and the harvest is sure to be abundant! As we engage in the coming fall season, our passions and desires should be to bear an abundance of fruit and distribute a harvest that satisfies not only our need for personal fulfillment, but glorifies our Heavenly Father.
 

 

"Sow an act...reap a habit;

Sow a habit...reap a character;

Sow a character...reap a destiny."

-Anonymous