The Father’s Good Hands ∙

The Father’s Good Hands ∙

We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps. – Proverbs 16:9

2 Kings 8:1-6

 1 Elisha had told the woman whose son he had brought back to life, “Take your family and move to some other place, for the LORD has called for a famine on Israel that will last for Seven years.”

 2 So the woman did as the man of God instructed. She took her family and settled in the land of the Philistines for seven years.

 3 After the famine ended, she returned from the land of the Philistines, and she went to see the king about getting back her house and land.

 4 As she came in, the king was talking with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God. The king had just said, “Tell me some stories about the great things Elisha has done.”

 5 And Gehazi was telling the king about the time Elisha had brought a boy back to life. At that very moment, the mother of the boy walked in to make her appeal to the king about her house and land. “Look, my lord the king!” Gehazi exclaimed. “Here is the woman now, and this is her son – the very one Elisha brought back to life!”

 6 “Is this true?” the king asked her. And she told him the story. So he directed one of his officials to see that everything she had lost was restored to her, including the value of any crops that had been harvested during her absence.

What is a slogan? We have heard them. We probably remember or certainly recognize many of them. A slogan is a short, easily remembered phrase associated with an idea, product, or service. It’s a succinct statement, a catchphrase that encapsulates the objectives or essence of a company, individual, or candidate, serving as a motto.

Originating from the rallying or war cries of ancient Highland clans, the term slogan is derived from a rallying cry, war-cry, or gathering word or phrase of one of the clans. Slogan is a variant spelling of Scots slogorne – battle cry, from Gaelic sluagh-ghairm derived from sluagh – host + gairm – shout. Some modern-day equivalents might be “Go get them,” “We are the Champions,” or “Remember the Alamo.”

In advertising, effective slogans form the backbone of identity and value. They encapsulate the company’s entire mission in a catchy and enduring phrase. They represent a commitment to customers. More than just a phrase, it’s a reflection of the brand’s entire mission. A slogan communicates precisely what the company does and why it does it.

Slogans play a critical role in brand building and marketing. The effectiveness of a slogan is determined by how well it is remembered. Often, a slogan becomes ingrained in popular culture: “Where’s the beef?”

Consider the Allstate Insurance TV commercial. Many of us have heard it a multitude of times. “You’re in good hands with Allstate.”

The creation of this slogan has an interesting backstory. Davis W. Ellis, one of Allstate’s sales executives, conceived it based on a similar phrase used by his wife. When their child was under a doctor’s care, she assured Ellis that their child was in good hands.

Who wouldn’t wouldn’t want to be in “good hands” when you need help? That’s the sentiment Allstate capitalized on when marketing its insurance policies using this brilliant slogan.

God protects His own when they trust in Him and remain in His Good Hands.

Psalm 36:7 How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings.

Psalms 91:1-4

 1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

 2 This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.

 3 For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease.

 4 He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.

Often, the Father utilizes intentional delays to position us in the right place at the right time. Our days, hours, minutes, and even seconds are in the Father’s hands. The Father was operating behind the scenes to meet the needs of the woman whose son was brought back to life through the prophet Elisha (2 Kings 4:18-37). After the miraculous healing, the woman and her son left the country due to a famine.

The timing was impeccable when she returned years later to request the king to return her abandoned land. At that exact moment, the king was discussing with Gehazi, the prophet’s servant. Gehazi was retelling the story of how Elisha had resurrected her son just as the woman walked in (2 Kings 8:5). Upon confirming the details of the case, the king granted her request, and her lands were restored to her.

REFLECT & PRAY

The Father graciously works to accomplish His will on earth as it is in heaven. He has a timeline of the events in the lives of each child of the King. He has appointments set up for us that we are totally unaware of until the moment we discover them. Over and over, we are encouraged to trust the Father and recognize that He is the Lord of our every moment.

Father, thank You for all the days of my life, which are in Your hands. You are the Potter; I am the clay.

INSIGHT

The Father is always at work in the lives of the children of the King. Throughout history, He has been actively involved in people’s everyday lives. In fact, He is orchestrating history. The Father invites you to become involved with Him in His work.

Father is the sovereign ruler of the universe. He has been working throughout history to accomplish His purposes. He does not invite us to set magnificent goals and then pray that He will help us achieve them.

The Father has His own agenda when He approaches us. He desires to get us from where we are to where He is working. He leads us from being self-centered to being God-centered. When the Father reveals to you where He is working, that becomes His invitation to join Him in His activity. When God reveals His work to you, that is the time to respond to Him (Blackaby).

The image of planning the way and directing the steps suggests embarking on a journey. The surprise comes in discovering that in the realm of planning daily activities, where humans believe they are in control, the Father’s will is most intimately at work. He works through the mental processes of human thought to bring about His desire (Bland).

There is an invisible equilibrium in the dynamic interplay between divine guidance and human initiative, giving God “not only the last word but the soundest.” People make plans and act them out (Waltke).

The LORD orchestrates the path of one’s life, guiding each step. Not a single step is made without the Lord’s supervision. A man may plan his road to the last detail, but he cannot implement it unless it coincides with the Father’s plan for him. He is deluded if he supposes that he has unfettered control and can impose his will on every situation without limitation to make his plan a reality. Shakespeare eloquently said, “There is a divinity that shapes our ends, rough-hew them how we will.” (Waltke).

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© Dr. H 2024