Season of Excessive Favor

Thanksgiving, so many things are associated with this day. Family gathering, the smells of turkey and pumpkin pie, football and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It’s a season of plenty. We turn our eyes to the bounty before us.

 

“The joyous days of the harvest are a special season of excessive favor. It is the glory of autumn that the ripe gifts of providence are then abundantly bestowed; it is the mellow season of realization, whereas all before was but hope and expectation. Great is the joy of the harvest. Happy are the reapers who fill their arms with the liberality of heaven.” – C.H. Spurgeon

 

This quote by Spurgeon caught my attention as I read it a few days ago. Basking in the truth that these eloquent words reveal I’ve been astounded. First it was sudden and almost painful. Then it was a quite gentle revelation. The sudden pain came in the cry of my heart “may You have the fullest joy of Your harvest in my life, Jesus.” The second realization was the slow understanding that I’m caught in between the season of hope and expectation.

 

In the past twenty-plus years I’ve lived out dreams that far surpassed my wildest imaginations and hopes. (Remind you of something? Eph. 3:20-21) Yet as I revel in this season, the harvest, my harvest has not yet come. Finding that I am still looking forward with hope and expectation towards the next harvest. I’ve seen small harvests in my life. But I am toiling, working, praying, like a farmer, that the Lord would provide another fruitful harvest. Not for my sake, but for the glory of His name. “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” -John Piper

 

My heart’s longing is that the harvest in my life is the result of a life that has been lived for the Lord of the Harvest. As I look around me, I find that everything I see causes my heart to delight in the joy of the harvest. His excessive favor overwhelms me. “Happy are the reapers who fill their arms with the liberality of heaven.” There is a bountiful harvest of thanksgiving in my heart. My arms are full of blessings!

 

Grateful for His excessive favor towards me I find my heart rejoicing all the more in this season. I must admit I eagerly await the next season of life, whatever that may be. I’m simply full of hope and God-sized expectations today.

For the Beauty of the Earth

Surrounded by beauty my heart sings. The variety of creation from the desert basin of New Mexico to the sandy beaches of Florida calls my heart to praise. Love shared among family and friends causes my heart to long for Christ more. Gratefulness without someone to offer it to or share it with is worthless. A heart that is grateful cannot know the truest sense of thanksgiving when it’s simply centered on oneself. If I alone could revel in the beauty because of my selfish satisfaction, then it is not beneficial. True gratefulness is recognizing the blessings whether we are in the midst of bountiful times or surrounded by hardships. It is being so moved by blessings that we live a life that is based on something wholly other than ourselves. The beauty of  the earth compels me to live a life of grateful praise to the Lord of all.

 

 

For the Beauty of the Earth

Music: Conrad Kocher; Arr. by W.H. Monk

Folliott S. Pierpoint, 1835–1917

For the beauty of the earth,

for the glory of the skies,

for the love which from our birth,

over and around us lies;

Lord of all, to Thee we raise

this our hymn of grateful praise

 

 

For the beauty of each hour

of the day and of the night ,

hill and vale, and tree and flower,

sun and moon, and stars of light;

Lord of all, to Thee we raise

this our hymn of grateful praise

 

 

For the joy of ear and eye,

for the heart and mind’s delight,

for the mystic harmony,

linking sense to sound and sight;

Lord of all, to Thee we raise

this our hymn of grateful praise

 

 

For the joy of human love,

brother, sister, parent, child

friends on earth and friends above,

for all gentle thoughts and mild;

Lord of all, to Thee we raise

this our hymn of grateful praise

 

 

For Thy church, that evermore

lifteth holy hands above,

offering up on every shore

her pure sacrifice of love;

Lord of all, to Thee we raise

this our hymn of grateful praise

 

 

For Thyself, best Gift Divine,

To the world so freely given,

for that great, great love of Thine,

peace on earth, and joy in heaven

Lord of all, to Thee we raise

this our hymn of grateful praise.

Bok Tower Gardens

Make you the world a bit better or more beautiful because you have lived in it.

-Edward W. Bok   1929

(photo by Tiffany Renee’)

Lake Wales, Florida

My dear friend Tiffany and I spent a day wandering around Bok Tower Gardens drinking in the beauty of creation. Our hearts drawn to the Creator more and more as we walked, chatted and simply shared the wonder of what this world reflects. “The whole earth is full of His glory.” -Isaiah 6:3  Edward W. Bok, the founder of this beautiful preserve wanted to leave the world a little more beautiful because of his life. Oh, that my life would leave the world a bit better or more beautiful because it was lived well!

O Love That Will Not Let Me Go…

Harvest time is perhaps my favorite season of the year. Granddaughter of a wheat farmer, something about this time of year is in my blood. Love of the land, love of the harvest. There is a joy which comes with the harvest. As I ponder the reasons that I love this time of year, not simply the baked goods, spiced candles and extra family time. I’m taken back to the simple things. Of working the ground, sowing the seed, watering and watching it grow, then finally the harvest. I long for a good harvest in my life. That the Lord would have the first fruits of my life, my pursuits and my heart’s affections. That my days will not be wasted.

Love: a significant word this year. From family, friends and strangers alike I’ve received an abundance of love this year. Perhaps in the broad scope of things this year has been no different but I’ve stepped back and made a conscious effort to see His love this year around me. His love, within me will not let me go. Everywhere I turn, in the small insignificant things as well as the large and weighty things love has prevailed. I’m astounded at the grasp George Mattheson has on love.  “O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go” the hymn he penned “…was the quick­est bit of work I ever did in my life. I had the im­press­ion of hav­ing it dic­tat­ed to me by some in­ward voice ra­ther than of work­ing it out my­self. I am quite sure that the whole work was com­plet­ed in five min­utes, and equal­ly sure that it ne­ver re­ceived at my hands any re­touch­ing or cor­rect­ion.” Love is the overflow of our affections. I’ve found throughout this year that my love is lacking and must increase. Lately I’ve found that perfect Love is my hiding place. It is the place that my weary soul finds a safe-have from the assults of this world. As I “abide in His (Jesus’) love” (John 15:9) I find that my love increases. My heart is richer and fuller as a result. I am “pursuing love.” (1 Corinthians 14:4) Because Love (Jesus) pursues me! Love pursued a blind and heartbroken George Mattheson and inspired this hymn certain of Love.

 

O Love That Will Not Let Me Go

George Mattheson, pub.1882

O Love that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

 

It reminds me of Him.

His bounty towards me.

Love that will not let me go…