August 19, 2026
Harvest is not only about what we can produce through our own effort. It is also about recognizing what happens when God is in it.
Continuing his teaching on the biblical meaning of harvest, Bishop Leon Benjamin turns to Psalm 67 to explore the relationship between praise, increase, and blessing—and how our response to God can change the way we experience the season we are walking through.
Psalm 67 declares, “Let the people praise thee, O God… Then shall the earth yield her increase.”
Bishop Benjamin highlights the order of these words: praise comes before increase.
Praise does not mean pretending that every circumstance is good. Instead, it means choosing where to place our focus even when we are facing worry, uncertainty, or difficulty.
Challenges will come. The question is how we respond to them.
Rather than allowing difficult news or circumstances to determine our attitude, Bishop Benjamin encourages believers to turn their attention toward God, remembering His faithfulness and choosing gratitude over constant fear and worry.
The circumstances may not immediately change—but our response to them can.
Throughout this series, harvest has involved sowing, working, caring, and receiving. But this lesson introduces another dimension: God’s blessing in the harvest.
Psalm 67 connects the earth yielding its increase with God blessing His people. Bishop Benjamin uses this passage to remind us that our harvest is not meant to become disconnected from the One who provided it.
The blessing is not simply the increase itself. It is recognizing God within it.
Sometimes the next step in our journey requires more than our own effort.
Bishop Benjamin describes harvest as a season in which the right people, places, and things can begin coming into alignment with our purpose.
A relationship, an opportunity, an open door, or an unexpected resource may become part of moving us forward. The invitation is to remain attentive to what God may be placing around us.
Just as a harvest requires many elements working together, our lives require alignment.
Bishop Benjamin encourages us to look beyond individual accomplishments and consider whether the different areas of our lives are helping move us toward the purpose God has given us.
Harvest becomes bigger than simply receiving more. It becomes about seeing what we have received serve a greater purpose.
Increase can easily become the focus.
But Bishop Benjamin repeatedly brings the lesson back to God. When opportunities arrive, doors open, or blessings become visible, the goal is not simply to celebrate what we received—it is to remember where it came from.
The harvest becomes an opportunity for gratitude.
Psalm 67 ends with a simple declaration: “God shall bless us.”
That is the heart of this lesson.
Praise. Increase. Blessing.
As we continue to work, sow, and move toward what God has called us to do, Bishop Benjamin encourages us to remain grounded in praise and trust that the harvest is ultimately bigger than what we can accomplish alone.
