Come, ye thankful people, come,
raise the song of harvest home;
all is safely gathered in,
ere the winter storms begin.
God our Maker doth provide
for our wants to be supplied;
come to God’s own temple, come,
raise the song of harvest home.

All the world is God’s own field,
fruit as praise to God we yield;
wheat and tares together sown
are to joy or sorrow grown;
first the blade and then the ear,
then the full corn shall appear;
Lord of harvest, grant that we
wholesome grain and pure may be.

For the Lord our God shall come,
and shall take the harvest home;
from the field shall in that day
all offenses purge away,
giving angels charge at last
in the fire the tares to cast;
but the fruitful ears to store
in the garner evermore.

Even so, Lord, quickly come,
bring thy final harvest home;
gather thou thy people in,
free from sorrow, free from sin,
there, forever purified,
in thy presence to abide;
come, with all thine angels, come,
raise the glorious harvest home.

Henry Alford, D.D. 1844

This song was my favorite Thanksgiving song growing up, and it still is. I love the melody. I love the words. I love the call to acknowledge our Lord as the giver of every good and perfect gift. I love the call to come before God with thanksgiving, realizing he owns it all. Every blade, every fruit.

Life today no longer looks as it looked twelve months ago. Many of us here in the States will celebrate Thanksgiving differently than we did in the past. For some of us there will be empty chairs at the table where loved ones once sat. The size of our gatherings may be reduced per Corona Virus guidelines and restrictions. Limits might be placed on what we can afford to purchase for our meal.

Yet amidst the many many changes 2020 brought, some things remain unchanged. God is in control. He loves us unconditionally. His love will last forever. Nothing can separate us from him. Though the mountains should crumble and fall into the sea, God is on his throne.

In good times and bad may his holy name be forever praised.

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Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation. Psalm 100 (NLT)

You can find my November Inspire a Fire post here. Please stop by and read it.

I wish you well.

Sandy

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