Psalm 65:9

You take care of the earth and water it, making it rich and fertile. The river of God has plenty of water; it provides a bountiful harvest of grain, for you have ordered it so. These days, less than two per cent of the population works in agriculture so, for most of us, harvesting feels a world away from our everyday lives. In pre-industrial society, most people were involved in agriculture, and harvest was a massive communal activity. It was desperately hard work, and the lives of agricultural workers were intimately bound up with the rhythms of the seasons. It’s no wonder that many of the psalms make reference to harvesting. Our circumstances are very different, but we are still dependent on the work of our farmers, and I am delighted that most churches hold harvest celebrations every year. They remind us that our food, however it comes to us, is a gift from God. This is a good moment to focus attention on our farmers. It is well known that the rate of suicide is high among those who work the land. The pressures upon them at any time are many, and these have been exacerbated by the changes in our climate and the increase of extreme weather events. Isolation is a pervasive problem, and many farmers live with constant financial insecurity. It is good for us to give thanks for the amazing contribution that our farmers make, and to pray for God’s blessing upon them. Before anything else, the harvest encourages us to look to God, whose hand provides our food. Our heavily processed and cleverly packaged food will often give the impression that it is man-made, but it isn’t! It comes to us from our loving creator, who deserves our worship and thanksgiving.

Question How are you going to celebrate God’s gift of the harvest this year?

Prayer Thank you, loving God, for the gift of our food. We praise you for all those who work so hard to bring it to us. Amen

Psalm 63:1

O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. This psalm was almost certainly penned by King David after he had fled from his son Absalom, who had attempted to take over his father’s throne. It was an agonising situation. Absalom was David’s third son and great favourite. He was charming and handsome and clearly loved the life of pomp and ceremony. We learn that he drove in a magnificent chariot with 50 men running in front of him. After a while, the power went to his head, and he decided to rebel against his father. To be betrayed by anyone is an appalling experience, but to be betrayed by your own much-loved son must have been almost too awful to bear. In despair, David fled to the desert, and had time to reflect on what mattered most in his life. He was absolutely clear that his relationship with the living God was everything to him. “Your unfailing love is better than life,” he concluded (Psalm 63:3). You might not have been through an experience as devastating as David’s, but all times of disappointment and tragedy can help us to reflect on life’s priorities in an intense way. David’s relationship with God was central to his life, so in the moment of despair, his gaze was fixed on the perfection of God’s love and provision. He recognised that even in this most extreme of circumstances, God was able to meet his needs. None of us knows what the future holds, so we need to ensure that we keep our relationship with God strong all the time.

Question What have you learned about God in the tough times that you have experienced?

Prayer Father God, thank you that you can always satisfy my deepest needs and that you will never leave my side. Amen

Psalm 62:10

If your wealth increases, don’t make it the centre of your life. The issue of wealth often comes up in the Bible. Psalm 112 gives an attractive picture of the person who follows the Lord. Such a person takes delight in the Lord’s commands and even in the darkness, the light shines for them. They are also described as wealthy and, at the same time, generous and compassionate. Everything that we have is a gift from God, so whatever we have should be a cause for rejoicing, whether it is great or little. The challenge comes when wealth increases, because possessions are always greedy for our attention. They want to become the main focus of our life, and that’s when the rot sets in. Only God deserves that place, and that’s exactly what our verse today is warning us about. We should ensure that wealth never takes centre stage in our lives. The book of Proverbs is wonderfully helpful on the subject of wealth. It often warns against the dangers of idleness and applauds hard work. It recognises that it often leads to wealth. Proverbs 10:4 puts the situation bluntly: “Lazy people are soon poor; hard workers get rich.” At the same time, the writer often speaks about the importance of generosity. It isn’t God’s desire that we build up huge resources for ourselves and neglect the poor. Proverbs also acknowledges that the accumulation of wealth can be exhausting, so we should make sure we don’t overdo it. In Proverbs 23:4-5, he writes: “Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich. Be wise enough to know when to quit. In the blink of an eye wealth disappears, for it will sprout wings and fly away like an eagle.” What wise words those are! Money comes and goes, so we would be foolish to focus all our attention on it. The point is clear. Whether you have much or little, thank God for what you have and ensure you make him the permanent centre of your life, and not money or anything else which has a limited shelf life.

Question What is at the centre of your life?

Prayer Lord God, thank you for the resources that you have given to me. Help me to use them to bring blessing to you and those around me. Amen