Acts 12 reminds us that it is the norm for God's people to find themselves in situations so far beyond their control that they feel helpless and hopeless. James is executed, Peter is imprisoned, and Herod appears to have all the power. While Herod displays his control, the church prays earnestly, Peter rests peacefully, and God continues to accomplish his purposes. This passage invites us to trust God's sovereignty, to pray fervently, to find our peace in who God is, and to remember that, in the end, there is only one who is truly in control.