I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “When it rains, it pours.” It’s an idiom we use to describe a situation that just keeps getting worse. At the beginning of Acts 12, a terrible situation has gotten even worse. Herod had already killed James, the brother of John, and now he has arrested Peter with the same goal in mind. It wasn’t looking good for the early church.

Did they respond with violence? Did they repay evil for evil? No; instead, they cast themselves upon the mercies of God and made their appeal with the Judge of all the earth. How do you respond when things go wrong or when you are mistreated? What can you learn from the Christians in Acts 12?

Don’t take matters into your own hands or stoop to someone else’s level. Take your worries and fears to God and trust that He will vindicate you—either in the present or in eternity.

How do you respond when things aren’t going your way? What can you do to respond with faith?