It is hard to believe that next week will be October already. I hope that you have enjoyed the wonderful weather that we have been having. I keep saying to others, “Great Sleeping Weather.” It won’t be long before we will have to start closing the windows at night, and the heat will be turned on. For now, I guess we’ll just have to enjoy the weather we have.
October reminds me of harvest more than November does. Maybe it’s because of all of the late vegetables that you can get at the market, the apples, and the pumpkins. Maybe it’s the hayrides that begin to take place or maybe its just about giving thanks a little early.
In my devotional yesterday, I read a passage from the 17th chapter of First Kings. It begins by saying that there will be no dew or rain, except when God speaks. But it doesn’t take long in that passage for God to speak to Elijah and tell him to go and wait by a river. It is there that God provides for him, more than just dew and rain.
In a related text, today I read from Luke’s twelfth chapter where Jesus tells his disciples not to worry about what they will eat, or about what they will wear. Life is more than food.
As I read that Word, and the Word from the Old Testament, I kept coming back to the same thoughts and the thoughts of October Harvest. More than November, October reminds me of the abundance and the constant supply that we have in our lives.
Think back to a time in your life when you didn’t have to worry about what you would eat or drink. It may be right now, or it may be as far back as when you were a child. Without a doubt there were times when you didn’t have to worry much. I remember with gratitude my childhood years when there was always more than I could ever imagine. It is as if God was supplying my needs through my parents. Now, I am the parent and I am able to provide. Things just happen, food is on the table, and abundance is supplied.
Sure there are times when you have some stress when you are running to the end of the pay period, but God continues to supply even in the midst of those lean times. I imagine that if you went to your cupboard right now, there would be more than enough to make a meal. Maybe the children wouldn’t be thrilled that you were having tuna noodle casserole, but there would be food.
Often times, we take for granted that we have been given so much. We neglect to think about the supply that we have been given even in the midst of scarcity. Abundance is around us, and we should not worry.
Today, I am giving thanks for so much. I am thankful for everything that I have. I am thankful for the gifts that I have received, the roof over my head, my family, and most importantly my life. I hope that you have an opportunity to give thanks too.
“Almighty God, in whom I find life, health, and strength, and through whose mercy I am clothed and fed, grant to me a thankful and faithful heart. In the name and spirit of Christ. Amen.”
This week in worship we will be hearing a message entitled, “When the Game is Over” based upon 1 Timothy 6:6-19. We will begin to distribute copies of “Treasures of a Transformed Life” as we begin our Transformed Living Congregational Study. I hope to see you there.
Please pray for me, and know that I am praying for you.
Greg
October reminds me of harvest more than November does. Maybe it’s because of all of the late vegetables that you can get at the market, the apples, and the pumpkins. Maybe it’s the hayrides that begin to take place or maybe its just about giving thanks a little early.
In my devotional yesterday, I read a passage from the 17th chapter of First Kings. It begins by saying that there will be no dew or rain, except when God speaks. But it doesn’t take long in that passage for God to speak to Elijah and tell him to go and wait by a river. It is there that God provides for him, more than just dew and rain.
In a related text, today I read from Luke’s twelfth chapter where Jesus tells his disciples not to worry about what they will eat, or about what they will wear. Life is more than food.
As I read that Word, and the Word from the Old Testament, I kept coming back to the same thoughts and the thoughts of October Harvest. More than November, October reminds me of the abundance and the constant supply that we have in our lives.
Think back to a time in your life when you didn’t have to worry about what you would eat or drink. It may be right now, or it may be as far back as when you were a child. Without a doubt there were times when you didn’t have to worry much. I remember with gratitude my childhood years when there was always more than I could ever imagine. It is as if God was supplying my needs through my parents. Now, I am the parent and I am able to provide. Things just happen, food is on the table, and abundance is supplied.
Sure there are times when you have some stress when you are running to the end of the pay period, but God continues to supply even in the midst of those lean times. I imagine that if you went to your cupboard right now, there would be more than enough to make a meal. Maybe the children wouldn’t be thrilled that you were having tuna noodle casserole, but there would be food.
Often times, we take for granted that we have been given so much. We neglect to think about the supply that we have been given even in the midst of scarcity. Abundance is around us, and we should not worry.
Today, I am giving thanks for so much. I am thankful for everything that I have. I am thankful for the gifts that I have received, the roof over my head, my family, and most importantly my life. I hope that you have an opportunity to give thanks too.
“Almighty God, in whom I find life, health, and strength, and through whose mercy I am clothed and fed, grant to me a thankful and faithful heart. In the name and spirit of Christ. Amen.”
This week in worship we will be hearing a message entitled, “When the Game is Over” based upon 1 Timothy 6:6-19. We will begin to distribute copies of “Treasures of a Transformed Life” as we begin our Transformed Living Congregational Study. I hope to see you there.
Please pray for me, and know that I am praying for you.
Greg
8 comments:
Good thoughts, Greg. I too enjoy the month of October for its many reminders of the harvest of blessings that God gives us. Thanks for the reminder!
Good stuff, and "we're not worthy, we're not worthy..."
Someone pointed out one time to me that it was ravens bringing meat to Elijah - what kind of meat do you think ravens would bring? Bleah...
We just finished preaching through Elijah's life. What a life of dependence on God's provision - the years of drought, the boldness before the king, before the prophets of Baal (okay, he ran from Jezebel, but God smacks him upside the head for that one). Even when his life is coming to an end and Elisha asks to be his successor - it is all as God wants it to be. Provision for our physical needs - and far, far beyond...
Sometimes our children probably think we are like Ravens. Like I said, sometimes Tuna Noodle Cassarole is not what kids want (ie. carrion), but God still provides.
A member of my congregation responded this way: Very often I think that we lived in the best of times. Perhaps other generations felt the same, I don't know. But I do know that I often felt as I read and saw pictures of WWI and WWII, how blessed we were to not have to undergo what so many did. And I also wondered how I would have reacted had I been in their shoes. In viewing the current series, "The War", I was amazed at how much we as individuals in our own homes never realized what was going on. Today, with TV, it is instant coverage and nothing is left to wonder about. And yet, we don't seem to have learned anything from the past. At least not enough to prevent such things from happening again. I might add that in the 2nd segment I was amazed to see my husband in the part showing new recruits in basic training. If it wasn't him, it certainly must have been a twin (which he didn't have).
In our trip to Alaska this summer, we learned that Ravens are a name held by the Tlingit Indian Nation in Ketchikan, Alaska. They have an amazing respect for the Harvests that God provides and stores up God's treasures to last them through the winter season. A truely amazing group of people.
(Names and Places may be changed to protect the innocent) At any rate, we can all learn from them~
May I learn to be more thankful for the MANY ways God has provided for me!
With medication costs that are often $500 or more per month, things get pretty lean for us financially. But no matter what happens we have enough because God always provides.
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