“God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.”
Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 4:11
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen. Romans 11:36
“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendor and the majesty, for everything in heaven and on earth belongs to You. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom, and You are exalted as head over all.”
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen. Psalm 41:13
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, forever and ever.” Revelation 5:13
“All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord. All the families of the nations will bow down before Him. And the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of God as the waters cover the sea.”
“God is working his purpose out, as year succeeds to year, God is working his purpose out, and the time is drawing near. Nearer and nearer draws the time, the time that shall surely be, when the earth shall be filled with the glory of God, as the waters cover the sea.” Our aim should be to know God and to make His love known so that those who do not yet know Him intimately will come to know Him and give Him glory.
We can do nothing in our own strength, but we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.”
“All we can do is nothing worth unless God blesses the deed; vainly we hope for the harvest-tide till God gives life to the seed.” How patient are you?
“We praise Thee, O Lord, for Thy wonderful mercies, and while to Thy glory our voices we raise, O Thou that regardest the prayers of Thy people, accept our thanksgiving and praise.”
“We praise Thee, O Lord, for the wonderful token, that shines as it shone on Thy servants of old, the pledge and assurance that seedtime and harvest, from earth Thou wilt never withhold.” What a wonderful promise!
“We praise Thee, O Lord, for the bountiful harvest, that now has been gathered and garnered with care; rewarding the toil of the Sower and Reaper, while all in its blessings may share. For the bountiful harvest, we praise Thee, we thank Thee and bless Thee, O Lord: for the bountiful harvest, we praise Thee and bless Thee, O Lord!”
Many, who are struggling in their faith, will find it hard to give God thanks for a bountiful harvest. They may have lost their job, or family members, gone through a health crisis, or some tribulation. But I want you to understand, that, when you are down to nothing God is up to something, but you have to trust him, you have to hold on. Scripture reminds us in Habakkuk 3,” Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vine, though the olive crops may fail, and there be no herd in the stall, yet, I will rejoice in the Lord.” My brothers and sisters in Christ, this takes great faith, but it is within you and within me. When you and I have nothing else but hope, know that it is not lost, the God we serve is able. Keep holding on to God’s unchanging hand and you will reap a bountiful harvest.
“All good gifts around us are sent from heaven above. We thank you, God, we thank you, God, for all your love.”
This week affords me the opportunity to encourage and to call upon my brothers and sisters around the world to give thanks. We take so much for granted; many of us have become hoarders, forgetting that all that we have are gifts from God that he intends for us to share, and to use, to bring him honor and glory. Many of us have overflowing pantries that God has been gracious to fill, but we tightly close the doors, instead of sharing the blessing. My brothers and sisters in Christ, know that a blessing shared is a blessing multiplied.
“We plow the fields and scatter, the good seed on the land, but it is fed and watered by God’s almighty hand. God sends the snow in winter, the warmth to swell the grain, the breezes, and the sunshine, and soft refreshing rain. All good gifts around us are sent from heaven above. We thank you, God, we thank you, God, for all your love.”
My brothers and sisters in Christ, as Christians all over the world, we are celebrating Harvest Thanksgiving; and as we sing the hymns of harvest, this song always resonates with me; it gives me pause for thought. “We plow the fields and scatter the good seeds on the land, but it is fed and watered by God’s almighty hand. Are we sowing enough in God’s field? Where are we scattering our seeds? My brothers and sisters in Christ, when we sow and scatter good seeds, God, feeds, and waters, and brings about a bountiful harvest. If our harvest, therefore, is not plentiful, it simply means that we are not sowing and scattering enough good seeds, or we are not being thankful enough to God who gives us everything. Let us now give thanks to God, our creator, and the giver of all the gifts we receive. Lord, “We thank you for all things bright and good, the seedtime, and the harvest, our life, our health, our food. Accept the gifts we offer for all your love imparts, but what you most desire, is our humble, thankful hearts. We thank you, Lord!
I will sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things. With His right hand, He has won for Himself the victory. Psalm 98
The Lord has made known His victory, His righteousness has He openly shown in the sight of the nations. He remembers His mercy and faithfulness to the house of Israel, and all the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. Shout with joy to the Lord, all you lands; lift up your voice, rejoice and sing. Give God some praise!