As the season changes to autumn, we come to the harvest season. Traditionally, harvest is a time to gather in the fruits of our labour, celebrate abundance, and give thanks for the blessings of the earth. For many, it brings back images of wheat fields, baskets of apples, and community feasts, as well as being thankful for the farmers who grow our food beyond the physical harvest. However, this season also invites us to reflect spiritually on the ways God has provided us throughout the year and prepare for the seasons ahead.
God Provides
In the Bible, harvest was also a time of celebration and thanksgiving. In the Old Testament, the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) was a week-long festival where the people of Israel gave thanks to God for his goodness and providing remembering how he had led them out of Egypt and cared for them in the wilderness (Leviticus 23:39-43).
Just as the Israelites were thankful for God’s faithfulness in both physical and spiritual ways, we are called to pause, reflect, and thank God for his blessings in our lives.
This time of year encourages us to take stock of the material provisions—food, shelter, health—and the many unseen ways God has been at work. Perhaps He has strengthened us in times of difficulty, provided guidance when we felt lost or surrounded us with the community when we needed support. Harvest reminds us to focus on what we have received in a world that often emphasises what we lack.
The Power of Thankfulness
Thankfulness is not just a response to receiving something; it is a spiritual practice that can be transformative. When we give thanks, we acknowledge God’s role in our lives and recognise that all we have comes from him. This perspective shift helps cultivate contentment and deepens our trust in God. As Psalm 100:4 tells us, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.”
Thankfulness prepares us to live with open hands—both to receive and to give. When we are grateful, we are more likely to share what we have with others, whether through giving, helping, or even encouraging. This is particularly important during the harvest season, as we, as churches in the Mynydd Bedwellte Ministry Area, give food for those in need to our local food banks at our harvest services.
Preparing with Thankfulness
This is a time of season change and new challenges that are always on the horizon. Just as farmers prepare the soil for the next growing season, we, too, can prepare our hearts for the future by cultivating thankfulness. Preparing like this allows us to enter the coming months not with anxiety or fear but with faith that the same God who has provided for us thus far will continue to meet our needs.
In Philippians, St Paul encourages us: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” When we root our preparations in thankfulness, we approach the future not with uncertainty but with trust in God.
Conclusion
Harvest is more than just a time to gather crops—it is an invitation to pause and thank God. As we reflect on the goodness we have received, let us prepare for the future with hearts full of thankfulness, ready to share what we have been given, and confident in God’s continued faithfulness.
Harvest Services In The Ministry Area:
29th September: St Georges 10am St Sannans 11am
6th October: St Davids 10:30am St Pauls 9.15am
13th October: St Dingats 10:30am