"The eyes of all look expectantly to You, and You give them their food in due season" (Psalm 145:15)

< Back


A TIME TO REMEMBER

Rev. Frederick L. Schnarr

Thanksgiving and harvest festivals are times when we remember all the many things the Lord gives to take care of us in this world.

From all the three kingdoms of nature—mineral, vegetable, and animal—we can think of thousands of beautiful and lovely things the Lord has created for our delight and happiness. The psalmist, King David, reminded us of such things to be thankful for when he sang,

You visit the earth and water it,
You greatly enrich it;
The river of God is full of water;
You provide their grain,
For so You have prepared it….
You crown the year with Your goodness…
The pastures are clothed with flocks;
The valleys also are covered with grain;
They shout for joy, they also sing.
Psalm 65:9,11,13

In our homes, in our work, in our play and schools and communities, in fact wherever we are, there are countless things from the Lord for which we can express our thanksgiving.

Is it good to give such thanks to the Lord at a special time? Yes. For while we thank the Lord every day in our prayers, at meals, and when we go to bed, it is different when we stop and think about all the things in our life at one time.

Remembering all the things to be thankful for at once is very powerful and good for us. This is why celebrations of thanksgiving have been held since ancient times. Indeed, thousands of years ago, when people began to gather in the harvest fruits they had planted, the Lord told them that they should bring an offering of some of this fruit, or grain, or vegetables, to Him.

These people were to bring the first fruits of their harvest to the Lord so that they would be reminded that He had created all these things for their use and enjoyment. They were reminded that their life here was a preparation for their life in heaven, and that everything the Lord created was really for this purpose.

Let us pray to the Lord of the harvest that He will make all of our works on this earth fruitful and full of the life of heaven.

Amen.

Printable Version