Good news for the countryside: What’s luck got to do with it?

​When I was old enough to go to livestock sales in Cookstown and Dungannon, it was a regular thing to see the farmer who had sold the pen of pigs, or the calf, give a coin to the person who had bought them for ‘good luck.’

I was actually watching a tradition that had originated generations before, when the buying and selling of livestock took place on Fair Days. The giving of the ‘Luck Penny’ sealed the deal and anticipated that the animal would do well for its new owner. Not bothering to do so was considered bad luck for both the seller and the buyer. There were those who claimed that you had to spit on the coin before you gave it so that it would bring good luck.

It’s possible that the word ‘luck’ is of Dutch origin, coming from a shortening of ‘gheluc’ meaning ‘happiness or good fortune’. ‘Good Luck!’ is, perhaps, more commonly a phrase used by people as they wish others well and implies that a person will need luck, something extra, to get a desired outcome. For example, such as the TB test, or a DAERA inspection, or starting a new enterprise.

Somewhere, inside many people, is the idea that it is luck - whether good or bad – that will make things turn out a certain way. Some will even have their own notions about what is lucky or unlucky.

The Bible makes it clear that God is in control of all His creation. He is the only One who can take the random acts of natural law, the free will of both good and evil people, and combine them together to achieve His good and perfect will.

Abraham was a successful farmer. We read in Genesis 13:2 that he “…had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.” Was that by good luck, or was it God’s plan for him? Later on, we see that, “Abraham was now very old, and the Lord had blessed him in every way” (Genesis 24:1). No mention of good luck there.

Job was a family man and a successful farmer, yet through no fault of his own he lost his family and livestock. Was it bad luck? Job’s explanation was simple “… The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised” (Job 1:21).

Then there was the Apostle Peter, a fisherman who fished all night and caught nothing. Was it bad luck? Jesus met him in the morning and told Peter where to throw his net to catch a pile of fish. Was that good luck, or was it a demonstration of the authority and sovereignty of God? Romans 8:28 promises that “…in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Rather than placing your faith in customs, or traditions that are supposed to bring good luck, place your faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of the Sovereign God. He offers you the certainty of having your sins forgiven and the treasure of eternal life. Place your trust now in the Living God, who knows the future and who holds all things in the palm of His hand. By placing your faith in Jesus alone, you will discover that His plan is perfect and that you will never need to depend on luck again.

Trevor Boyd is the minister of the congregations of Tobermore and Draperstown in the shadow of the Sperrin Mountains in County Londonderry. Married to Barbara, the father of three is a sheep breeder and previously sold animal health products across Northern Ireland.

If you would like to talk to someone about any of the issues raised in this article, please email Rev Kenny Hanna, PCI’s Rural Chaplain at [email protected] or call him on 07938 488 372.