Sovereignty

ACT 12:11, 21-23 NIV

Then Peter came to himself and said, "Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod's clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen."  ... On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. They shouted, "This is the voice of a god, not of a man." Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.

In the first half of this chapter, Peter was delivered from Herod's evil plan, and at the end of the chapter, Herod was eaten by worms.  This reminds me of Psalm 1:6:

For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

Of course, we keep in mind that, at the beginning of this chapter, James (the elder) was killed by Herod, so God's protection for the righteous doesn't mean that all disciples of Jesus will be miraculously delivered from all opposition.  But the Lord is faithful to His word, and when we receive the gracious righteousness of Christ by faith, we can know with certainty that the Lord determines our steps.  We can find peace and comfort in knowing that He is loving and kind and that His plan for us will ultimately be revealed as good and perfect.

Heavenly Father, I want to want to dwell with you.  I want to focus on dwelling with you and not worry about my circumstances.  Lord, please help me rest in you, knowing that you are good and sovereign.  Lord Jesus, thank you for your righteousness, and Holy Spirit, thank you for your presence.  I love you, and I pray in the name of Jesus.