Angels At Work - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) August 9, 2024

Angels are a popular part of culture. There have been countless books, TV shows, and movies about angels. Human beings have been fascinated by them long before our modern forms of entertainment and story-telling. However, what do we really know about angels?

The one place to learn more is the Bible because it mentions a variety of angels doing a variety of things. One instance is in Matthew 4:11 - Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus (NLT). Here we see that angels took care of the Savior after He resisted satan in the wilderness. There isn't much detail on what this entailed but we gain some understanding via Hebrews 1:14 which states, What are the angels, then? They are spirits who serve God and are sent by him to help those who are to receive salvation (GNT).

We see that angels are God's servants whom He sends to assist people. And all over the Bible, they performed this role, doing God's will for those He sent them to. He dispatched angels to Abraham, Gideon, Samson's parents, the parents of John the Baptist, and so many others. In some cases, angels provided prophecy and wisdom. In others, they showed up to give immediate and practical assistance to individuals such as when an angel was sent to Elijah in 1 Kings 19:5-7. There, the prophet was in mental, physical, and spiritual distress but an angel brought him food, restoring his strength.

In the case of Daniel, an angel entered the den with him to shut the mouths of the lions (Daniel 6:22). His enemies had schemed to have him unjustly thrown into the lion's den because they were jealous of his success. The Lord saved Daniel, while the conspirators, and their families, were thrown into the same den where they were eaten.

Notice that the people God sent His angels to were not wicked people. These were individuals who sought to live by God's rules and not the ways of the world. They were far from perfect but the fear of the Lord guided them. And God, in His mercy and patience, allowed them to encounter His agents.

Also, be aware that no single angel encouraged or permitted any human to pray to or worship them. They always stopped such from happening and instructed humans to serve and worship God instead. They never permitted idolatry. The only 'angel' who sought glory for himself was Lucifer and the result was that he was evicted from heaven and made less than nothing by God.

Angels play a crucial role in the work God is doing here on earth. Let us all be careful to not diminish or dismiss their part in the Lord's kingdom work. Instead, having learned of their significance, let us pray that we will be like those whom God sent His angels to. We must open our Bibles to study the types of people who experienced angels and strive to be more like them so we can also enjoy the benefits of heavenly assistance when we call out for it.​