Our Father in Heaven,

In recent days we have felt cool mornings and evenings, signaling for those in the Midwest the upcoming end of summer and the beginning of fall. It makes us aware of the long, dark and cold winter that will soon be upon us. Before that however, we get to enjoy a colorful fall season, with joyful fall festivals, sweaters, football, cider, pumpkins, raking leaves, and everything else that goes with this wonderful season. And we shouldn’t forget to notice the beauty of the changing sunlight and lengthening shadows.

It seems like it was just last week that I saw the first signs of the green corn and soybean plants breaking through the fields of our rich Illinois soil. But of course, it’s actually been much longer than that. Some of the fields have already been harvested, and those that remain are brown, and will soon be harvested and laid bare until next spring, should the Lord not return by then.

The leaves on the trees that I see on my afternoon walks are changing from green to red, orange and yellow each day. The burning bushes, and the red sunset maple in our back yard, planted in my mom’s memory now more than twenty-seven years ago, will soon be a spectacular show of red.

Father, you are so faithful. Each day the sun comes up in the morning, and sets in the evening. Throughout the year we get to experience the seasons of spring, summer, fall and winter. The great hymn “Great is Thy Faithfulness” by Thomas Chisholm tells us:

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

We thank you for your faithfulness, your wonderful creation and for this fall season. We thank you for the new morning mercies you provide us:

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

In Jesus’ precious name I pray,
Amen