For he will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. Psalm 91: 11 – 12
“I believe there are angels among us/ Sent down to us from somewhere up above/ They come to you and me in our darkest hour/ To show us how to live/ To teach us how to give/ To guide us with the light of love.”
Do you remember these words from the Alabama song from the early 90’s, called “There are Angels Among Us”? What a comforting message, and I do believe these heavenly beings are here with us! And sometimes I even imagine their presence bringing protection and comfort.
For many years, Bob spent much time traveling, especially flying, for his job. For quite awhile in the beginning, I would get really anxious and fearful each time he left. I imagined the plane crashing, I would think of how I would never see him again, and how our 2 small kids and I would be left without their dad.
But gradually with time, I began to handle it differently. Each time I knew he had boarded his flight and taken off, I would begin to visualize angels beneath the plane, lovingly supporting it, carrying him to safety. Silly, I know, but it gave me peace and strength, and my anxiety and fear soon left. Each time he traveled, I became more confident that he would return safely.
I had forgotten this until a few months ago when Kelly, Drue, and our 2 grandsons were flying to visit friends. I was saying prayers as it neared time for them to depart, and suddenly this memory surfaced. It gave me comfort once again to think of them being delivered safely by these “ministering spirits” of God.
This morning I needed to visualize these heavenly beings once again as our 7 year old grandson, Miles, and his dad were flying to Philadelphia to watch a friend play basketball and to visit relatives. And gratefully those angels “carried” them to safety.
How many stories have we heard of people suddenly and mysteriously appearing to help someone in need? We watch movies and TV shows about these beings, and we may have images of angels in various forms in our homes. It’s as if we want to believe that they exist, and that they surround us, protect us, and keep us from harm, but we’re just not sure that they aren’t just some mystical, fantasy creatures.
Many books have been written on the topic and even some scholarly theologians have weighed in on the issue, but what does God’s Word say about the existence of these divine beings? Surprisingly, there is actually much biblical basis that they do indeed exist. There are references to them in Scripture nearly 300 times, found throughout the Old and New Testaments.
I find it amazing that God wanted to give us such overwhelming evidence of their presence! His Word tells us that there are “armies of angels” serving God and doing His will, and that they are His messengers – sent to guide us, protect us, minister to us, strengthen us, encourage us, and deliver us. And there seems to be evidence to suggest that we may each have our own guardian angel who cares for us on this earth and who will lovingly escort us from this world into the next.
Mystical indeed, when we consider that sometimes they may be sent to us in the form of another fellow human being, or they may appear in unseen spiritual form, but we are told they are real; they exist. I believe in these divine messengers, and today, they are carrying some pretty precious cargo over the skies!
What love our God has for us to send His angels to walk with us and to keep us in His care.
Prayer
Dear God, thank you for your angels who minister to us in ways that we can’t even imagine. Thank you for knowing that sometimes we need more than ourselves as we travel through this journey of life. Thank you for your Spirit who lives in us and gives us your guidance, strength, and peace, and for all the ways you keep us in your care. Your amazing love for us is incomprehensible, and we give you all glory, honor, and praise for it. Amen
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