I like this verse, because I have experienced these sorts of things. Our move to France as a family with young children in 1983 was definitely not our idea. It was from God! Many said this whole thing would be a blessing. But it did not start out that way.

As Paul helped in collecting wood, he inadvertently picked up a snake hidden among the branches, driven out by the warmth of the fire. This man of faith did not panic as many of us would do. He just shook it into the fire and continued what he was doing.

For more than 2000 years now, the Kingdom of God on earth has been growing. People have been hearing about the Saviour, and telling others He is coming soon. But we are all still waiting. Many people are frustrated that Jesus has not yet returned as He said He would.

How tragic it is that satan has never given up on trying to kill off believers. But it is also tragic to hear about the sudden tragedies all over the world: floods, earthquakes, invasions. It seems that far too regularly these tragic events are being reported on our news media.

Most of this chapter is talking of the end of the world, and can be depressing to read, especially if we allow ourselves to become distracted by the worrying words: wars, earthquakes, famines, pestilence! Most of these things have already happened many times before we were born. They continue today.

This sounds like a severe warning from Paul in his first letter to Thessalonican christians. He had visited this Greek city on his second missionary journey, and had converted several listeners in the synagogue there. But he had been forced to leave because the Jewish leaders rose up against him.

Reading the Old Testament tells us that God was frequently having to reprimand His children as they strayed from the truth and did things the way they thought best. This often played into the hands of enemy nations who had been prompted by greed or fear to attack the Israelites.

Jesus saw or heard about many suddenlies during His time on the earth. This particular problem child seemed to irritate him. Not because of the child who was demon possessed, or the worried frustrated father. But because of His disciples who had tried to heal this boy, but had failed.

Some female followers of Jesus had gone to the grave and as they went there was a violent earthquake! That earthquake was caused by the arrival of the angel who rolled away the stone from the grave entrance. Not to let Jesus out of the tomb! He had already left.

In the prison Peter was not panicking, but sleeping peacefully in spite of his chains which attached him to two sentries! Once Peter was freed from prison and walking towards the house where people were praying for him, we read of another suddenly! Suddenly the angel left him (Acts 12:10).