Giving Over

“When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, ‘The Lord’s will be done.’”  Acts 21:14

What do you do when those you love won’t do what you want them to do?  It’s not that their plans are wrong; it’s just that they’re not so safe, or not so sane, or not so sensible—at  least not to you.  What do you then?

Paul’s friends faced this exact problem.  One could say Paul was bound and determined to go to Jerusalem, but the truth was that if Paul went to Jerusalem, he would be bound and detained.  God’s Spirit had said so through a prophet named Agabus.  While visiting in Caesarea, “he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, ‘The Holy Spirit says, “In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles”(Acts 21:11).

When Paul’s friends heard this prophecy, they pleaded with him to stay put or to go to a different place.  Why walk directly into danger?  Why head straight into harm?  Earlier in the trip, other Christians had “urged Paul through the Spirit not to go on to Jerusalem”(Acts 21:4), and with tears, pleas, and “please,” these friends now begged the same.  But Paul simply answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart?  I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus”(Acts 21:13).  Paul’s words weren’t impromptu bravado.  He knew what suffering for Jesus meant.  His back bore scars from beatings.  His bones had been bruised when stoned.  Paul realized the road ahead wasn’t safe, but he was sure he wanted to take it—and nothing anyone said was going to stop him, so they stopped.  “When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, ‘The Lord’s will be done’”(Acts 21:14).

Professors, preachers, and theologians still debate whether or not Paul should have gone to Jerusalem, but since we can’t be sure, let’s stick to what know.  Paul wanted to go, but his friends didn’t want him to.  At some point they had to give up what they thought was best and trust God to do what He knew was best—“The Lord’s will be done.”  This is hard to do and still hold someone close, but Paul’s friends didn’t send him on alone just because they didn’t agree.  Luke records, “After this, we got ready and went up to Jerusalem.  Some of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us”(Acts 21:15).  As the old saying goes, “A good friend will bail you out of jail.  A great friend will be sitting in the cell with you.”  I’m not advocating lawlessness but loyalty—even when God’s path isn’t so plain.

Sometimes we just can’t be sure where God is leading those we love.  We can plea and please as we think best, but when we throw up our hands and place them in God’s hands, they’re in the best place they could be.

It goes beyond giving up to giving over.