“Lord of the Harvest” By: Mark A. DePugh

Autumn is a special time of year! Those cool brisk mornings give way to very comfortable afternoons. And the air ---- It smells special to me. I know, that may sound strange, but the smell of autumn in the air includes many different fragrances. Magnificent and spectacular foliage covers the hills as various leafs encounter a colorful change. This process is called photosynthesis. Photosynthesis you say -- What a word! Photosynthesis is about change and transformation. In this case, we’re talking about the change and transformation of leaves, but many things can and do change – including the hearts of men. Praise the Lord!

Thoughts of autumn steer our minds to the farmlands. Corn pickers hard at work. Farmers harvesting soy bean crops. Grain silo’s filled to capacity. Tractor’s running seemingly endless circles. Fields ripe with pumpkins. And the list goes on! Yes, Autumn’s time of harvest is most definitely gorgeous!

Autumn for the hunter, I know, “Now your talking, right?!” Daylight hours shorten and Whitetail testosterone levels begin to soar. Bucks forget about food and begin their search for does, in an all out effort to reproduce within their species. Chasing, grunting, scraping, and rubbing, to the point that some animals will actually fight their rival unto death! Hunters setting perched 15 feet in the air, watching, waiting, hoping, and praying for a `close encounter of the monster buck kind!’ You know where I’m coming from! Yes, indeed autumn is gorgeous!

This autumn season, I challenge you! Let us be mindful of an Almighty God who has created the beauty in and around us. Understand that, He is the Lord of the harvest! What do I mean by that, you ask? We are the crop of our Heavenly Father, so to speak. He created us the way we are. He planted the seed. He feeds and nurtures us in an effort to grow and bring beauty to His name. He molds us, cultivates love within us, and keeps us weeded from sin. And then you talk about a day of harvest -- Jesus will split the eastern sky, and with the sound of a trumpet, our Lord will claim His bride, or might I say -— His crop! Yes, the Lord of the Harvest will take us to be with Him in glory!

Thoughts of Autumn --- He’s the Lord of the Harvest!

Mark A. DePugh

President FCH

National Chapter