Thank the Lord for All His Love

'"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows," (James 1:17 NIV). 

Thanksgiving is almost here. It seems late this year. Iowa corn fields have been empty for some time now and the bins are full. Though it was a dry summer, the corn seemed to thrive and the harvest was plentiful. Being a farm girl I grew up loving the land. My father was a soil conservationist so we learned the ways of protecting the rich, dark soil from erosion and overuse.

One of my favorite Thanksgiving songs is "We Plow the Fields, and Scatter" written by Matthias Claudius in 1782, with music by Johann A. P. Schulz, 1800.

"We plow the fields, and scatter The good seed on the land, But it is fed and watered By God's almighty hand; He 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 heav'n above; Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord For all His love.  He only is the Maker Of all things near and far, He paints the wayside flower, He lights the evening star; The winds and waves obey Him, By Him the birds are fed; Much more to us, His children, He gives our daily bread.  All good gifts around us Are sent from heav'n above; Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord For all His love.  We thank Thee then, O Father, For all things bright and good, The seed-time and the harvest, Our life, our health, our food; Accept the gifts we offer For all Thy love imparts, And what Thou most desirest, Our humble, thankful hearts. All good gifts around us Are sent from heav'n above; Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord For all His love."

The Lord blesses us so abundantly! As the words of the song state we thank God for our life, our health, and our food. Too often we take these things for granted. But, this week we pause and lift our hands in praise for the blessings we enjoy. 

Heavenly Father, we are so thankful. Our hearts are full and overflowing. This week we take the time to breathe in our gratitude, reflecting on all You have done in our lives. You are such a Great God, beyond description in words. Accept our humble thanks for the greatest gift of all, Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior. It is in His Name we pray, Amen.