I had a strange notion grab me while reading through Acts 12. Two different situations were going on. Peter sat in jail. Peter was chained between guards and at midnight believed he was having a dream. In fact, it wasn’t until the angel actually left him that he realized he was no longer in jail. The light, the chains falling away, and even passing out into the streets seemed more like a vision. In fact, when he went to the home of his friends, they too thought the idea of him being free was the delusion of someone. Meanwhile Herod sat on his throne. He remained in charge and ruled over all that he saw. When he spoke, people would say it was the voice of a god not a man. Herod never refuted this. Perhaps he even believed it himself. Then Herod was struck down. In both cases, neither person realized how close God was in the moment. They were completely different people. One believed in the Lord; one did not. One trusted Jesus; one trusted himself. One literally was placed in a prison while the other lived in luxury. The challenges and life situations were not brand new to either of them. Peter, by this time, had doubtlessly been treated poorly along the way of his journey. He witnessed others being martyred and knew what likely waited for him. Meanwhile, Herod would have enjoyed a life of plenty. This would not be the first time that he (or someone like him) had been thought of as a god. Still in both cases the presence of the Lord was much closer than either realized. Peter was in the street before realizing that he was free. Herod was dead almost as quickly as he had made a decree, even though it was not the first time a man-made decree and assumed himself to be a god. Maybe the lesson isn’t one of fear…that God is waiting, silently judging. I think it’s more of Who God has said He was throughout the Bible. He is near. He does judge but in a perfect timing. He is slow to anger because He doesn’t want anyone to perish. But that doesn’t mean that no one is accountable. And while sometimes He rescues us immediately, other times He moves with different timing. However the lesson is that He is near no matter the circumstances.