Tag Archives: land

Love for the Earth

18 Tuesday Jul 2023

Posted by in Psalm 65, Psalms

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , ,

Reading: Psalm 65:9-13
You care for the land and water it;
you enrich it abundantly.
The streams of God are filled with water
to provide the people with grain,
for so you have ordained it.
You drench its furrows and level its ridges;
you soften it with showers and bless its crops.
You crown the year with your bounty,
and your carts overflow with abundance.
The grasslands of the wilderness overflow;
the hills are clothed with gladness.
The meadows are covered with flocks
and the valleys are mantled with grain;
they shout for joy and sing (NIV). *

img_20220731_1617244

A canola field in Saskatchewan — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
I can’t read this psalm without picturing an overflowing cornucopia. This is the psalmist’s horn of plenty. Speaking of the LORD, David declares, “You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance.”

My farm boy’s heart delights in this psalm. I delight in the land and the soil. Being on the land and cultivating the rich earth nurtures my soul. I am invigorated by it. The soil where I grew up in Saskatchewan was black and fertile. It’s the best kind of soil for crops. In the summer the fields were mantled with grain—a vast sea of wheat billowing in the breeze.

But I’m not alone in my love for the earth. David assures us God has that same affection for the soil. You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops.

Now in practical terms my love for the soil is confined to a small backyard suburban garden. I tend my vegetable garden with care and God above does His part. He softens the earth with showers and blesses its crops. This morning, my wife and I rooted out a grape vine in preparation for spring planting. It was a pleasure to work with her and my heavenly partner, the LORD God Almighty.

Before the snow flies in the fall, we will pull out the last of the carrots and parsnips. To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1, NKJV).

In our toil we are not alone. There is something sacred about work. God ordained it. He planted a Garden for Adam and Eve to tend. Whether we are rooting out weeds, extracting teeth or rooting out unproductive habits, God is present in our work. Welcome Him as your partner.

Response: LORD God, I am thankful for my calling and the work you have set before me. You are my partner in it and my provider. I give myself to you to your service today. Amen.

Your Turn: Do you see yourself as God’s partner in your vocation? Reflect on occasions when you have sensed God working with you.

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Your prayers for the people of Ukraine are making a difference.

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild, and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. Start your day with a new devotional series. To purchase or for a closer look click here.
RGB300Kitz2AWARD

You Care for the Land

23 Wednesday Sep 2020

Posted by in Psalm 65, Psalms

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , ,

Reading: Psalm 65
(Verses 9-13)
You care for the land and water it;
you enrich it abundantly.
The streams of God are filled with water
to provide the people with grain,
for so you have ordained it.
You drench its furrows and level its ridges;
you soften it with showers and bless its crops.
You crown the year with your bounty,
and your carts overflow with abundance.
The grasslands of the wilderness overflow;
the hills are clothed with gladness.
The meadows are covered with flocks
and the valleys are mantled with grain;
they shout for joy and sing (NIV).*

img_20160910_193810

Road north of farm near MacNutt, SK — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
I can’t read this psalm without picturing an overflowing cornucopia. This is the psalmist’s horn of plenty. Speaking of the LORD, David declares, “You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance.”

My farm boy’s heart delights in this psalm. I delight in the land and the soil. Being on the land and cultivating the rich earth nurtures my soul. I am invigorated by it. The soil where I grew up in Saskatchewan was black and fertile. It’s the best kind of soil for crops. In the summer the fields were mantled with grain—a vast sea of wheat billowing in the breeze.

But I’m not alone in my love for the earth. David assures us that God has that same affection for the soil. You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops.

Now in practical terms my love for the soil is confined to a small backyard suburban garden. I tend my vegetable garden with care and God above does His part. He softens the earth with showers and blesses its crops. Last week, my wife and I pruned our plum tree in preparation for next spring. It was a pleasure to work with her and my heavenly partner, the LORD God Almighty.

Before the snow flies in the fall we will pull out the last of the carrots and parsnips. To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1 NKJV).

In our toil we are not alone. There is something sacred about work. God ordained it. He planted a Garden for Adam and Eve to tend. Whether we are rooting out weeds, extracting teeth or rooting out unproductive habits, God is present in our work. Welcome Him as your partner.

Response: LORD God, I am thankful for my calling and the work you have set before me. You are my partner in it and my provider. I give myself to you to your service today. Amen.

Your Turn: Do you see yourself as God’s partner in your vocation?

* New International Version, Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

Some good news: The first volume of 365 Days through the Psalms by award-winning author David Kitz will be published in November, 2020, by Elk Lake Publishing. Two additional volumes will follow in 2021 to complete the three volume set of devotions from the Psalms.

You Care for the Land

29 Monday Apr 2019

Posted by in Psalm 65, Psalms

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , , , ,

Reading: Psalm 65
(Verses 9-13)
You care for the land and water it;
you enrich it abundantly.
The streams of God are filled with water
to provide the people with grain,
for so you have ordained it.
You drench its furrows and level its ridges;
you soften it with showers and bless its crops.
You crown the year with your bounty,
and your carts overflow with abundance.
The grasslands of the wilderness overflow;
the hills are clothed with gladness.
The meadows are covered with flocks
and the valleys are mantled with grain;
they shout for joy and sing (NIV).

IMG_20140912_154651

Prairie roadside scene — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
I can’t read this psalm without picturing an overflowing cornucopia. This is the psalmist’s horn of plenty. Speaking of the LORD, David declares, “You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance.”

My farm boy’s heart delights in this psalm. I delight in the land and the soil. Being on the land and cultivating the rich earth nurtures my soul. I am invigorated by it. The soil where I grew up in Saskatchewan was black and fertile. It’s the best kind of soil for crops. In the summer the fields were mantled with grain—a vast sea of wheat billowing in the breeze.

But I’m not alone in my love for the earth. David assures us that God has that same affection for the soil. You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops.

Now in practical terms my love for the soil is confined to a small backyard suburban garden. I tend my vegetable garden with care and God above does His part. He softens the earth with showers and blesses its crops. This morning, my wife and I rooted out a grape vine in preparation for spring planting. It was a pleasure to work with her and my heavenly partner, the LORD God Almighty.

Before the snow flies in the fall we will pull out the last of the carrots and parsnips. To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1 NKJV).

In our toil we are not alone. There is something sacred about work. God ordained it. He planted a Garden for Adam and Eve to tend. Whether we are rooting out weeds, extracting teeth or rooting out unproductive habits, God is present in our work. Welcome Him as your partner.

Response: LORD God, I am thankful for my calling and the work you have set before me. You are my partner in it and my provider. I give myself to you to your service today. Amen.

Your Turn: Do you see yourself as God’s partner in your vocation?

Receiving the Land

07 Thursday Jul 2016

Posted by in Psalms, Thursday's Thought

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , ,

You will show the right path to all who worship you. They will have plenty, and then their children will receive the land (Psalm 25:12-13, CEV).

582

Tulip beds, Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC — photo by David Kitz

Reflection

This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is land.

Are you waiting for your inheritance? Actually, as sons and daughters of the King, we have an eternal inheritance that will be coming our way. We have a promised land that is ours to possess. Today’s verse from the Psalms is a direct promise from the LORD:

You will show the right path to all who worship you. They will have plenty, and then their children will receive the land (Psalm 25:12-13, CEV).

Old Testament Israel was promised a land flowing with milk and honey—a rich inheritance. But there are conditions attached to receiving the promises of God. Israel did not simply waltz in and possess the land they were promised. They had to fight for it. Yes, the LORD fought with them, but in return He expected their love, obedience and worship.

The same principles apply to believers today. The LORD will show the right path to all who worship Him. The LORD may show us the right path, but we must be willing to take it—to walk down that path—His chosen path for our lives.

Response: LORD God, show me the right path. I worship you with my whole heart. Give me a willing heart to enter into your promises that come through a life of love, faith and humble obedience. Amen.

Your Turn: Are you entering into your inheritance? 

Not Strength and Weapons

06 Wednesday Jul 2016

Posted by in Mid-Week Medtiation, Psalms

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , ,

Their strength and weapons were not what won the land and gave them victory! You loved them and fought with your powerful arm and your shining glory (Psalm 44:3, CEV).

585

Daffodil path, Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC — photo by David Kitz

Reflection

This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is land.

What is the secret to victory in war? In modern warfare often the answer boils down to superior weapons. Superior weapons are the product of superior technology, so whoever has the best technology can be assured of victory. Right?

Don’t count on it. In the final years of the Second World War, Germany had developed fighter jets that were far superior to the turboprops the allies were flying. Similarly, German guided missiles were raining destruction down onto London. But despite these superior weapons, Germany lost the war.

Apparently, according to today’s verse from the Psalms, when it comes to war, God has the final say on who wins.

Their strength and weapons were not what won the land and gave them victory! You loved them and fought with your powerful arm and your shining glory (Psalm 44:3, CEV).

The secret to victory in war is knowing who is on your side. If the LORD is on your side, the path to victory is certain. The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name (Exodus 15:3, NIV).

Response: LORD God, in the spiritual warfare that I face daily, I desperately need you on my side. You are my strength against powerful spiritual enemies. But with you my victory is assured. Amen.

Your Turn: Have you enlisted the Lord to fight for you or are you fighting with him?

Refreshing Showers

05 Tuesday Jul 2016

Posted by in Psalms, Tuesday's Truth

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , ,

When your land was thirsty, you sent showers to refresh it (Psalm 68:9, CEV).

583

Azaleas in bloom, Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC — photo by David Kitz

Reflection

This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is land.

Locally, we have had a very dry spring. For both May and June we received only about a third of the normal monthly rainfall. As might be expected, lawns have turned dry and crunchy underfoot. Every other day I’ve been watering the garden and flower beds. Field crops have suffered the most. Corn that should be waist-high is less than knee-high.

But on July first everything changed. We had three significant showers—showers that brought life and growth. That’s the promise in today’s verse from the Psalms.

When your land was thirsty, you sent showers to refresh it (Psalm 68:9, CEV).

Just as land goes through periods of drought, so too our spirits can become dry and parched. God can seem to be ten thousand miles away. For such times, Peter provides us with this advice, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus” (Acts 3:19-20, NIV).

Nothing brings refreshing quite like the manifest presence of Jesus. And nothing prepares the way for Jesus like a repentant heart that has turned to God.

Response: LORD God, I am thirsty for you. I repent of my sins and my waywardness. Right now I turn to you. Send your showers of refreshing on the thirsty soil of my soul. Amen.

Your Turn: Are you going through a spiritual dry spell?

Your Heart’s Desire

04 Monday Jul 2016

Posted by in Monday Meditation, Psalms

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , ,

Trust the LORD and live right!
    The land will be yours, and you will be safe.
Do what the LORD wants,
    and he will give you your heart’s desire (Psalm 37:3-4, CEV).

581

Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC — photo by David Kitz

Reflection

This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is land.

Are you thankful for the land in which you live? I certainly am. On almost every measurement of prosperity, security, freedom and human development, Canada ranks at the top among the nations of the world. We have a great deal to be thankful for.

But to whom should we be giving thanks? Yes, we can be thankful for those who have gone before us, who built this great land through hard work and sacrifice. They forged partnerships with welcoming hearts that brought the prosperity and success that we now enjoy.

But ultimately, our freedom, security and prosperity come from the LORD. Today’s verse from the Psalms reminds us of this truth.

Trust the LORD and live right! The land will be yours, and you will be safe. Do what the LORD wants, and he will give you your heart’s desire (Psalm 37:3-4, CEV).

Ancient Israel enjoyed freedom and security when the people of the land trusted in God and lived right. The ways of LORD have not changed. If we want to continue to enjoy His blessings, we need to do what He wants and not merely pursue our selfish desires.

Response: LORD God, I thank you for my home and native land. Help the people of this great land turn their hearts toward you. God keep our land glorious and free. Amen.

Your Turn: Are you thankful for the land in which you live?

A Harvest Psalm

27 Tuesday Oct 2015

Posted by in Devotionals, Psalms

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

Reading:                                           Psalm 65

(Verses 9-13)

You care for the land and water it;
you enrich it abundantly.
The streams of God are filled with water
to provide the people with grain,
for so you have ordained it.
You drench its furrows and level its ridges;
you soften it with showers and bless its crops.
You crown the year with your bounty,
and your carts overflow with abundance.
The grasslands of the wilderness overflow;
the hills are clothed with gladness.
The meadows are covered with flocks
and the valleys are mantled with grain;
they shout for joy and sing (NIV).

Reflection

I can’t read this psalm without picturing an overflowing cornucopia. This is the psalmist’s horn of plenty. Speaking of the LORD, David declares, “You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance.”

Photo by Wonderopolis.org

Photo by Wonderopolis.org

My farm boy’s heart delights in this psalm. I delight in the land and the soil. Being on the land and cultivating the rich earth nurtures my soul. I am invigorated by it. The soil where I grew up in Saskatchewan was black and fertile. It’s the best kind of soil for crops. In the summer the fields were mantled with grain—a vast sea of wheat billowing in the breeze.

But I’m not alone in my love for the earth. David assures us that God has that same affection for the soil. You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops.

Now in practical terms my love for the soil is confined to a small backyard suburban garden. I tend my vegetable garden with care and God above does His part. He softens the earth with showers and blesses its crops. This morning, my wife and I rooted out a grape vine in preparation for next year’s planting. It was a pleasure to work with her and my heavenly partner, the LORD God Almighty.

In a few weeks we will pull out the last of the carrots and parsnips before the snow flies. To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1 NKJV).

To everything there is a season.

To everything there is a season.

In our toil we are not alone. Whether we are rooting out weeds, extracting teeth or rooting out unproductive habits, God is present in our work. Welcome Him as your partner.

Response: LORD God, I am thankful for my calling and the work you have set before me. You are my partner in it and my provider. I give myself to you to your service today. Amen.

Your Turn: Do you see yourself as God’s partner in your vocation?