Let’s remember what happened just one verse earlier. Agabus, a credible prophet, had taken Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and declared that the owner of the belt would be bound in Jerusalem and handed over to the Gentiles. It was clear he was speaking about Paul, so when the believers begged him not to go, their response made sense. They loved him. They had just heard what awaited him. Of course they urged him to stay.
Yesterday, I felt uncomfortable imagining myself making such a bold prophetic claim. Today, I find myself relating more to the believers who didn’t want Paul to go at all. Their plea came from love, but it was also tangled with fear.
I feel that tension most deeply when it comes to my children. I have two, who are six and eight, and I am constantly surrendering their lives and their salvation to the Lord. As a young mom, whenever I heard of tragedy in the world, I would picture it happening to my own children. The closer it hit to home, the more suffocating the fear became, and the tighter I wanted to hold onto them.
Several years ago, the Lord placed wise women in my life who gently spoke truth into that fear. I began to see that the real issue wasn’t simply anxiety; it was a lack of trust in God’s sovereignty. The hard reality is that something tragic could happen to my children. I cannot control every outcome. But I can trust the One who holds them. God has them in His hands, and He has already defeated death and the grave for them, too.
Obedience sometimes means letting go. It means raising my children open-handed, trusting that God’s plans for them are good, even if those plans include hardship. Just as Paul walked toward Jerusalem in obedience, and the believers had to release him into God’s will, I am called to loosen my grip and rest in eternal truth.
Lord, teach me obedience that trusts You fully. Help me to love deeply without clinging in fear. Anchor my heart in Your sovereignty, and give me courage to place what I treasure most into Your faithful hands. Amen.