What does this mean?
Answer - I believe that God has made me and all creatures;
that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my limbs, my reason,
and all my senses, and still preserves them; in addition thereto, clothing and
shoes, meat and drink, house and homestead, wife and children, fields, cattle,
and all my goods; that He provides me richly and daily with all that I need to
support this body and life, protects me from all danger, and guards me and
preserves me from all evil; and all this out of pure, fatherly, divine goodness
and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me; for all which I owe it to Him
to thank, praise, serve, and obey Him. This is most certainly true.
A few years ago, a visitor commented to me after attending
our Thanksgiving Day service, “Once you attend a service in a rural church, you
come away with an appreciation and a completely different understanding of the
term Thanksgiving.” Luther in his
explanation of the 1st Article provides for us quite an extensive list of what
it means for God to sustain, support and preserve me and all creatures.
These blessings, so necessary for our well-being, are not
always appreciated until they are taken from us or we must go without. We are
not entitled to them, rather they come to us by the gracious hand of our
heavenly Father.
Soon another planting and growing season will be upon us. We
do not know what challenges will befall us. Of this, we can be certain, the
Lord has promised to richly provide for us, daily, as we need it. He grows the
grain from which we get our bread next year. All is provided by our Father’s
generous hand.
Almighty God, You bless the earth to make it fruitful,
bringing forth in abundance whatever is needed for the support of our lives.
Prosper; we pray the work of farmers and all those who labor to bring food to
our table. Grant them seasonable weather that they may gather in the fruit of
the earth in abundance and proclaim Your goodness with thanksgiving. Cause all
people who give thanks over their food to treat those who produce it with honor
and respect, and may we see by this noble vocation that through them You feed
the earth.
Collect for Agriculture, Lutheran Service Book © 2008
Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis
Julius Schnoor von Carolsfeld ©WELS
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