Conspiracy against God's own beloved Son was part of his plan. We read about that in Acts 4:28 that Herod, Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel conspired together to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. Predestined—that is our God. He plans ahead. Before the creation of the world, this plan was laid out. What an incredible comfort that is for us! The Lord was in full control. This was his plan all along. This was his plan to redeem his people, ourselves included, from a life of sin and misery. Jesus had to die for God's plan of salvation to succeed. The madly raging nations were oblivious and blind to this reality; so were God's own people. Yet through it all, God's plan, his plan to save you, to rescue me from sin, was not thwarted. The sovereign Lord used the evil rulers of this world for his purpose, for his glory, for our salvation! That is our God. He is not a weak God whose plans do not always succeed. The Lord has no plan B. He doesn't need a plan B, or C like we so often do. That allows us to trust fully in the sovereign Lord. When the nations madly rage against God, when the people plot in vain against his church, when all looks lost, be assured that behind it all is the Lord. His plans are unfolding. That gives us great boldness to faithfully carry on the work of the Lord even with the threat of persecution or trouble looming over our heads.