“God revealed Himself by doing good to you — giving you rain for your crops and fruitful harvests season after season, filling your stomachs with food and your hearts with joy.”
Acts 14:17 The Voice

The harvest season is a time of anticipation. Farmers gather their crops in hopes of a good yield, reaping the growth of all the planting done in earlier seasons. And for gardeners, it’s a time for gathering the overflow of fruits and vegetables from what was planted. Reaping happens every fall at harvesttime. We even see it in nature as squirrels and other animals scurry around, collecting nuts and seeds to store in the ground for the colder months ahead. This time of harvest shows us how God always supplies us with what we need. It’s a rhythm that happens every year, and it’s part of God’s design, plan, and purpose for the fall season.

“As long as the world exists, there will be a time for planting and a time for harvest. There will always be cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night” (Genesis 8:22 GNT). Every year, we know a time of harvest will come — just as we know there will be the cold of winter and the heat of summer. We can count on the supply of the harvest because God is always faithful to bring it. This rhythm in nature is as unchanging as God and His love for us.

Just as the harvest teaches us about God’s faithfulness, we can also learn about God’s perfect timing from the farmer. James 5:7 (TLB) says, “Be patient, like a farmer who waits until the autumn for his precious harvest to ripen.” When a farmer cares for his fields of crops, he patiently waits as they grow, trusting that they will ripen for harvest at the right time.

In a similar way, we need to patiently wait on the God who cares for us, trusting that as we wait on Him to work in our lives, He will give us a “harvest” of answered prayer at exactly the right time. It’s important for us to be patient in waiting on God and to trust in His timing and wisdom as He guides and directs us. Only He can see the big picture, and He sees things we cannot see. He wants to bless our lives with abundance and fill our hearts with joy. He wants the very best for us. If He doesn’t answer a prayer in the way we hope, it’s because He is answering it in a better way.

Sometimes it may seem like God is delaying answering our prayers, but we can trust that He always gives us what we need when we need it. His timing is not our timing — it’s so much better!

As you enjoy this harvest season, maybe you’ll have some time to make Pumpkin-Pecan Bread. The fall season just isn’t the same without it! Think about the abundant ways God has blessed you this season as you mix the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and other good things into the batter. And thank Him in advance for how He is working to fill the needs you are praying about right now. You can rest in His promise in Philippians 4:19 that He will provide all you need.

Lord, You are a God of abundance, and we are so grateful for how You provide for us in every way. Your supply of love, care, and provision never run out. You even know what we need before we ask and are always so faithful to watch over us, guide us, and protect us. We thank You for the beauty and the bounty of the harvest season and the lessons You teach us from it. Give us the patience and trust we need to stay strong in our faith as we wait on You to work out Your good plans in our lives. Remind us that Your ways are always best for us. And Father, let us find peace and rest in knowing that we can give all our needs and cares to You, and You will provide for us in Your perfect timing, exactly when we need it. We love You and are so grateful for Your amazing love for us. Amen.

Pecan Pumpkin Bread

PREP: 15 MIN. | COOK: 60–70 MIN. | TOTAL TIME: 1 HR. 25 MIN. | SERVINGS: 10

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 cup canola oil
• 5 large eggs, beaten
• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Ingredients:

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Grease or spray two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar.
3. Add the milk and canola oil to the dry ingredients, mixing everything together.
4. Stir in the eggs and then the pumpkin, mixing everything well.
5. Fold in the pecans, stirring until evenly incorporated into the batter.
6. Divide the batter equally between the greased loaf pans and bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Let loaves cool in pans for 15 to 20 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

The Simple Recipes for Busy Seasons Devotional Cookbook is designed for hectic moments, offering heartfelt devotions that encourage you to breathe, pause, and find peace in God’s presence, alongside quick, wholesome recipes that bring your family together without adding to your stress. Find many more recipes and devotions like the one above in Simple Recipes for Busy Seasons!

 

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