82. GOD STILL SENDS ANGELS. Hebrews 1:14

God can come to you in varied forms. When Jesus appeared to His disciples and stilled the storm, they thought He was a Ghost. In the book of Hebrews (1:14) The Bible says Angles are “ministering Spirits sent to those who will inherit salvation” Have you ever seen an angel? They are not always dressed in white with dramatically arched wings; sometimes they are so ordinary that they are overlooked. Hebrews 13:2) says ‘Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing, some people have entertained Angels without knowing it. Perhaps you think God doesn’t send angels these days, because He has given His Holy Spirit to help, protect and guide us. Not so. Sometimes your intellect can undermine your faith. Remember, God sent an Angel to deliver Peter from prison on the eve of his execution. On his way to Roam, Paul was on a ship destined to be destroyed by a ferocious storm. But God sent an Angel to assure him that he would survive it. So Paul announced to the crew and passengers; ‘Take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, Saying ‘Do not be afraid Paul’...’Therefore take heart, men, for I believe it will be just as it was told me’ Acts (27:22-25) You may not be able to see angels, but you can be certain they can see you, Indeed they never take their eyes off you. Just read Matthew (18:10). In what situation will God send an Angel to help you? 1. When those you love and trust disappoint you. Genesis (21:18) We can only imagine how Hagar felt when in a joint decision Abraham and Sarah got her pregnant in order to try and fulfil God’s promise. Then when Isaac was born a year later she and her baby were sent away weeping and crying with no child support, she believed they would both die. Hagar left baby Ishmael under a tree and walked away because she couldn’t bear to see her baby die of hunger and thirst. But God sent an Angel to tell her that her son was a child of destiny from whom would come a great people. 2. When you are facing embarrassment and can’t defend yourself, Mary intended to get married first then have a baby, but God had different plans for her. Not only was she facing public humiliation, but according to the Law she should have been put to death. But in Luke (1:34-38) we read that God sent an Angel to vindicate her and tell her that she was in the centre of His Will 3. When you are grieving over the death of someone you love and fear for your future. Read Matthew (28:6) Mary Magdalene loved Jesus more than life itself. So when He died and was buried. She was distraught and heartbroken. That’s when God sent an Angel to announce. ‘He is not here. He is risen’. If you allow it to, the cynical world will tell you that God doesn’t send Angels these days, but believe God’s Word, and believe me I’ve experienced the work of Angels in my life very often and still do quite regularly. God is very good at sending His messengers to and for us when the situation demands it. What are some other situations when God may send His Angels to help you? 1. To get you out of trouble. Lot was living in Sodom, a city about to be destroyed because of its sin. That’s when God sent angels to rescue him and his family from impending doom. Lot listened, obeyed and survived, but sadly, his wife didn’t and she perished. (See Genesis 19) 2. To change your life’s direction. ‘Moses was tending Jethro’s flock. Right there the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush’ (Exodus 3:1-2). Moses thought his life was over. He started out in a palace, and ended up in a pasture. But every experience both good and bad, equipped him to lead the greatest migration of people in history. 3. When your facing your biggest challenge. In order to enter the promised land, Israel first had to conquer its largest city. Jericho. And Joshua hadn’t a clue how to do it. That is when God sent an Angel with a plan that would literally bring down the walls (Joshua 5:14). 4. When you have given it your best shot and are ready to give up. After his spectacular victory over the prophets of Baal on mount Carmel, Jezebel put out a death threat on the prophet Elijah. How did it effect him? ‘I have had enough, Lord,” he said “Take my life” Then he lay down under a bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said ‘Get up’ (Read the rest of the story in 1 Kings 9. very interesting) Today God still sends angels to help us in and out of the battles in our lives. When you go through something you can’t explain, look for God’s Angel in the experience. Thank you for reading about God’s (Angels) Messengers, I hope you get something out of it. Although Angels are not given much space in the Bible, or surrounded with Doctrine or Dogma, their timely arrivals are certainly worth praying, thinking and reading about. There are many more instances in Scripture where the arrival of Angles come into their own to change situations. God bless, Phaline. ------------------------