My future is in your hands.

I
can still hear the television commercial’s promise echoing in my
memory: “You’re in good hands with Allstate.” In fact, this slogan was
created by David Ellis, the general sales manager for Allstate
Insurance Company in 1950, along with the familiar logo of two hands
holding a car. Since 2004, Allstate’s advertising campaign asks the
question: “Are you in good hands?”

So, are you? Are you in
good hands? I’m not thinking here of whether your personal property is
adequately insured. Rather, is your life in good hands? Is your soul in
good hands? Are you relying on protection and strength from
something–better, someone– who is truly reliable?

I’ve been a
Christian for forty-five years, a pastor for the last twenty-one years.
You might think I’d be able to answer the questions I just asked
affirmatively. Surely there have been times when I could truly say that
I rely fully on God, that I have placed my life in his hands. But I
must confess my tendency to slip out of God’s hands so that I might put
my faith in something else, like my job, or my family, or my insurance
policies(!), or my country, or my investments. It’s not wrong to trust
these to an extent. But if I find my sense of security in something
other than God, then I have set myself up for disappointment, because
they will inevitably fail.

When I consciously and consistently
put my life in God’s hands, when I live each day with the knowledge
that I am relying on him and living for his purposes, I feel
extraordinary peace. I am set free from fear of things I cannot
control. The fact is that you and I will only be in “good hands” when
those are the loving, strong, trustworthy, tender, protective,
nail-scarred, gracious hands of our Lord.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: So, are you in good hands? Are you living each day with an awareness of God holding you?

PRAYER:
O Lord, how good it is to entrust my life to you, to place my future,
my hopes, my fears, indeed, all that I am, in your hands. Thank you for
protecting me, guiding me, empowering me, healing me, and holding me. I
am truly in good hands when I entrust all that I am to you.

Help
me, dear Lord, to live each day “in your hands.” When I am tempted to
trust something other than you or when fear threatens my confidence,
keep me in your hands.

All praise be to you, gracious Lord, for your good hands! Amen

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