https://odb.org/2026/04/14/harvest-his-blessing
Leviticus 26:3–12 (NIV): 3 “ ‘If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, 4 I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit. 5 Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land.
6 “ ‘I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid. I will remove wild beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country. 7 You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the sword before you. 8 Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you.
9 “ ‘I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you. 10 You will still be eating last year’s harvest when you will have to move it out to make room for the new. 11 I will put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you. 12 I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people.
Alan is a fifth-generation fruit farmer who manages his family’s cherry, peach, and apple orchard. Over the years, his family has perfected growing trees with maximum yield. They’ve carefully planted saplings for the future, put up a deer fence, and invested in special fans that help keep the air warm when frost threatens their crops. Even so, they’re never assured of a good harvest. Factors like weather, pollinators, and disease are beyond their control.
Yet all of nature is under God’s control. He knows we need physical provision like healthy crops, but He encourages us to look even higher to the ultimate good—Himself. The book of Leviticus contains decrees that God gave the Israelites governing everything from sacrifice and worship to relationships and criminal justice. Obeying His direction would lead to blessing, including provision of a bountiful harvest (26:3-4), but disobedience would result in a curse, where their enemies would enjoy the fruit of their labor (v. 16). More than just plentiful crops (v. 10), God’s blessing included a promise to dwell with His people (v. 11) and look on them “with favor” (v. 9).(Karen Pimpo, Our Daily Bread 14th April 2026)
There is a significant difference between the approach taken by God with regards His chosen nation in the Old Testament compared to the New Testament. While the LORD emphasised obedience to His law and its reward of blessings and a bountiful harvest (as the Israelites were principally farmers), the New Testament cautions believers that Christian life may potentially be a life of suffering with the reward being eternal life. So Paul challenges us to persevere when faced with suffering as it produces character and from character we will have hope. Or we are to renew our mind and not conform to the pattern of this world so we may experience God’s will. Or that our suffering now pales in comparison to the glory that awaits us. Or that our battle is not against flesh and blood but against principalities of the air and dark spiritual forces. In other words, the spiritual dimension and eternal life is emphasised more, rather than living a blessed life here on earth.
Strangely, though, a believer’s life is actually never short of heavenly blessings and divine provision. There might be some suffering but our lives are more like that of the widow and Elijah where the flour and oil to make bread did not run out during the time of great famine. In other words, God will nevertheless take care of our needs as we commit our lives to Him and put our trust in Jesus. Jesus promised that if we seek first the Kingdom of God, all these things shall be added unto us.
The message this morning is that rather than seek the blessings, seek Jesus first. Seek the giver, not the gift. The blessings will follow as our heavenly Father will not allow us to go hungry. My belief is that so long as His plans and purposes for our lives remain unfulfilled, He will make sure that we live as to die is gain but to live is Christ. We will have our time in the sun so long as we keep our eyes focussed on Jesus. Peter walked on the water when he was focused on Jesus but begin to falter and sink when his attention turned to the cold and and the wind! Keep our eyes on Jesus! Remember life and death is in the hands of God. Until we are called home, we are to serve His will! Amen!
Ronnie's Thoughts 