Held
by Jane Mueller
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Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me … (John 17:11b).
Read John 17:1–11
Jesus prays this when everything is about to unravel.
The teaching is finished. The meal is over. The room will soon be empty. Jesus knows what’s coming. Arrest, betrayal, confusion and fear are just hours away. Everything that had begun to make sense is about to collapse.
And yet, he does not rush. He does not scramble. He does not strategise or issue final instructions.
He prays.
Jesus lifts his eyes and speaks to his Father. He doesn’t cry out for escape; he calls for care. He doesn’t plead that his followers be spared from what’s coming; he pleads that they be protected through it – kept in the Father’s name. He prays that they would be held.
The Christian life is about being held. The disciples are held before they understand. Held when their faithfulness falters. Held before they find their footing again.
Jesus does not pray that his followers will hold it all together. He prays that they will be held. Held when fear strips away certainty. Held when unity is strained. Held when security seems distant. Held when the next step feels unclear. Held when tomorrow feels unthinkable. Held when praise comes slowly, and trust has to be relearned.
This is the beginning: God holding us. It’s not about our grip; it’s about God’s.
The Bible readings for the days ahead will speak of peace in noisy places, provision in dry ones, unity under pressure, confidence without control, faithfulness in the ordinary and praise that moves at an unhurried pace. Every one of these readings flows from this same starting point. We do not keep going by gripping harder; we keep going because God is already holding us.
We are held.
Heavenly Father, when I feel overwhelmed, unsure or afraid of what lies ahead, remind me that I do not have to hold everything together. Hold me when my inner world feels unsteady, when fear gets loud, and when trust has to be relearnt. Amen.
Jane is a former Lutheran school principal and now serves as the Governance Leadership Director for Lutheran Education SA/NT/WA. Jane has a keen interest in psychology, hiking, learning new things and trying new things.
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