May 5, 2023
Focus: Luke 4:10: For it is written: “He will command His angels concerning you to guard you carefully.”
This posting will be a little bit different. I apologize for the interruption of my blogs but I have just spent a week in hospital with an asthma crisis. First, the flu, then bronchitis and pneumonia, and then my asthma flared up. It has been a rough week and I have missed being at my computer and Bible to share with you. But an incident occurred today that I have to share with you. I got home from the hospital yesterday and needed to go pick up a prescription at the pharmacy. While I was there I picked up a few things for dinner too.
I had gotten into line at the self-checkout and remembered another item I had wanted to get. I left the line, got it and came back. This time I lined up behind a little lady that had to be 90 years old if she was a day. She looked back at me, smiled and asked me how I was doing. To tell you the truth I was exhausted. This was my first solo anything since leaving the hospital. She offered to let me go ahead of her and to scan my groceries, what little they were. We discussed it and I said ok. My first thought was that God had sent an angel to help.
She scanned all that was in my basket and came back to ask me if I was sure that this was all I needed. I said yes. She put her arm around my shoulder and said, “Tell you what, I am going to pick up your tab.” I was stunned. I tried to argue but all I could do was cry. She hugged me and said that it was what she wanted to do. I knew then that she was an angel. She put my bags in my basket and even offered to put them in the car for me, but I was parked close to the door and knew I could take care of two bags. She asked if there was anything else she could do and I asked her to pray for me. She asked for my name and promised to pray. She hugged me again and I was so reminded of my little grandmother who has been in heaven for about 35 years now. That’s how personal that hug felt. I left the store blessed and encouraged.
What I am trying to say is that there are angels all around us. Some we see, most we don’t. But God created them and uses them. They are interested in us. Jesus said that the angels rejoice when a sinner repents and is saved. God has always sent his angels to us. Abram spoke with angels. Lot and his family had angels guide them out of Sodom before it was destroyed. Angels fought with the Israelites when only a few men were up against huge armies. Down through the Bible, we see angels visiting the people of God and even those who are not people of God. Daniel, Peter and Paul, Jesus, King David, the prophets and so many more.
Missionaries have told stories of angels that have protected them in the mission fields against people who would kill them. Thugs have reported not attacking who they thought was a lone person walking down the street because they could see huge men walking beside them. Children, as recently as the earthquake in Syria, have reported that men in robes ministered to them in the rubble, bringing the food and water and protecting them. I have to believe every one of these stories.
Most of the time, we are blissfully unaware that there are angels all around us. I can’t say that we all have guardian angels, but I know many of us, me included, sure can use one. But it wouldn’t surprise me that that we do have guardian angels. They can appear as people in the line at the grocery store. Protectors of God’s people in dangerous situations anywhere on this planet. Unseen, or even seen, guardians of people walking alone down a dark street. Ministers and protectors of children and people in the midst of crisis. Guides from this world to the next in death. Revelations states that the churches have angels. The letters in the first chapters were to the angels of those churches. I cannot dismiss that there are angels among us. I have been called an angel too, when all I did was reach out to comfort and assist a friend. But I don’t see myself as an angel. I am a child of God. Reaching out to comfort is what God has me do.
I am not going all “woo-woo” on you here but there are things in the heavens that we do not see. Battles that we do not know about. Battles for our souls, our lives and our families. I think that we would be absolutely terrified if we could see the battles that angels fight on our behalf. Daniel prayed for days. When Gabriel arrived with the answer to Daniel’s prayer, he told him that his prayer had been answered on the first day but it had taken the angel 21 days of battle to bring the answer to him. Gabriel, and then the archangel Michael came, and they fought the satanic forces so Gabriel could bring the answer to Daniel.
Angels are real. I don’t know what they look like, but I have not seen any descriptions in the Bible of soft female angels as are pictured in all sorts of paintings and pictures. I don’t know that there are any angels like that because the only ones that I have read about in scripture are mighty warriors. Those seen by thugs and attacker of missionaries saw men. Big men. Warriors to be afraid of. The children in Syria saw men, protective men who took care of them until they were rescued. I am not going to argue about what angels look like but that’s what I see.
So, Child of God, don’t be surprised when you meet an angel unaware. They are all around us. They are interested in us because God created us. They are among us because God sends them to us when we need them. They are among us to protect and comfort us. Some He sends to guide, some to comfort, some to correct and some to just be with us. But they are there. Don’t ever doubt that.
