The Hand is on the Plough Summary and Analysis

Once Jim arrives in Portland he starts to gather supplies he'll need in Ecuador. Even amid the stress of packing and preparing to depart he doesn't neglect his prayer and Bible study. God opens his heart as he reads about Abraham, and how God was able to make an old man fall to the ground and laugh with joy as every need was met. He holds onto this fact with faith as he struggles with his own feelings and needs including his desire for Elisabeth. "It may be that he hasn't planned to make us wait for years, but it certainly looks like it from here." (p. 154) This statement by Jim Elliot foreshadows his change of heart regarding marriage. He has plenty of arguments of why he shouldn't marry, and he...