(20) God Cares about Christian Persecution

Acts 12 describes a power struggle between God and an evil King. This struggle is personified in the interactions between Herod and the people of God, namely James, Peter and the praying, Jerusalem church. To us there's no real suspense as to who wins this struggle. We've read the story and see that God wins.

But we do feel suspense in our own lives as we take our turn participating in ongoing conflict between good and evil. We may doubt whether our struggles against evil have any purpose. We wonder whether our prayers are of any use. We may get discouraged when evil seems to triumph over good.

This historical account can encourage us. It teaches us the danger of fighting against God. It teaches us the role our prayers can have in conflict. It reveals God involved in the midst of the struggle and as the victor in the conflict.