When God sends you an angel (4)

Here are some more situations when God might send an angel to help you.

(1) When doing the right thing gets you into trouble. Doing God’s will put Daniel in a lions’ den, but God brought him out and publicly vindicated him. The king declared, “Every part of my kingdom… must… reverence the God of Daniel. For… his dominion will never end” (v. 26 NIV).

(2) When you’re tired of battling temptation. When the urge to pick up a drink, drug, or a cigarette feels overwhelming, or you think the only way out is to lie, or loneliness is driving you into the arms of the wrong person. After Jesus had battled temptation for forty days, the Bible says, “The devil leaveth him, and behold, angels came and ministered unto him” (Matthew 4:11 KJV).

(3) When the load you have been called to carry feels too heavy. Facing the indescribable agony of being crucified on a cross, Jesus prayed the defining prayer of His life: “‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.’ An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him” (Luke 22:42-43 NIV).

God will strengthen you through His Word and prayer. Sometimes He will send people you know to help you do it. Paul wrote, “We were harassed at every turn – conflicts on the outside, fears within. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus” (2 Corinthians 7:5-6 NIV). Other times, He will send an angel. Bottom line: When you call on God for help, you can be sure that help is on the way.

Soul food: Num 14-15; Matt 7:15-29; Ps 37:32-40; Prov 11:7-8

When God sends you an angel (3)

What are some other situations when God might send an angel 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 the flock of Jethro… There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush” (Exodus 3:1-2 NIV). Moses thought his life was over. He started out in a palace and ended up in a pasture. But every experience, good and bad, had equipped him to lead the greatest migration of people in history.

(3) When you’re facing your biggest challenge. In order to enter the promised land, Israel first had to conquer its biggest city: Jericho. And Joshua hadn’t a clue as to how to do it. That’s when God sent an angel with a plan that would literally bring down the walls (See Joshua 5:14).

(4) When you have given it your best and want to quit. After his spectacular victory over the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, Jezebel put out a contract on the prophet Elijah. How did it affect him? “‘I have had enough, Lord,’ he said. ‘Take my life’… Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, ‘Get up'” (1 Kings 19:4-5 NIV).

And today God still sends angels in disguise to help us.

Soul food: Num 11-13; Matt 7:1-14; Ps 37:25-31; Prov 11:5-6

When God sends you an angel (2)

In what situation might God send an angel to help you? (1) When those you love and trust have disappointed you. Imagine how Hagar felt. In a joint decision with his wife, Sarah, Abraham got Hagar pregnant in order to try and fulfill God’s promise. Then when Isaac was born a year later, he sent her away without child support. Weeping and believing they would both die, Hagar left baby Ishmael under a tree and walked away. But God sent an angel to tell her that her son was a child of destiny from whom would come a great people (See Genesis 21:18).

(2) When you’re facing embarrassment and can’t defend yourself. Mary planned to get married first, then have a baby. But God had a different plan. Not only was she facing public humiliation, but according to the law, she should be put to death. But God sent an angel to vindicate her and tell her that she was in the center of His will (See Luke 1:34-38).

(3) When you’re grieving the death of someone you love and fearing for your future. 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: for he is risen” (Mt 28:6). The Bible says, “Some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it” (Hebrews 13:2 NIV).

If you allow it to, a cynical world will make you doubt that God actually loves you so much He would send an angel to help you. But it’s true.

Soul food: Ps 34; Acts 12:1-17

When God sends you an angel (1)

God can come to you in varied forms. When Jesus appeared to His disciples and stilled the storm, they thought He was a ghost. So, your intellect can undermine your faith. The Bible says angels are “ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation.”

Have you ever seen an angel? They aren’t always dressed in white with dramatically arched wings. Sometimes they’re so ordinary that they’re overlooked. “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it” (Hebrews 13:2 NIV).

Perhaps you think God doesn’t send angels because He has given us His Holy Spirit to help, protect, and guide us. Not so. Remember, God sent an angel to deliver Peter from prison on the eve of his execution. On his way to Rome, Paul was on board a ship that was destined to be destroyed by a ferocious storm. But God sent an angel to assure him 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 God that it will be just as it was told me” (Acts 27:22-25 NKJV).

You may not be able to see angels, but you can be certain that they see you; indeed, they never take their eyes off you! (See Matthew 18:10.)

Soul food: Num 8-10; Matt 6:19-34; Ps 37:16-24; Prov 11:4

A prayer of forgiveness

The Bible says: “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you” (vv. 31-32 NLT).

Are you struggling to forgive someone? Here is a prayer: “Lord, I praise you for forgiving me and washing my sins away. Reveal anything I need to confess to you today so that I can bring it before you and be cleansed and set free, especially any place in my heart where I have not forgiven someone. I know how subtly resentment and bitterness can build up and hinder my prayers. I recognize that my lack of forgiveness toward others can keep me from experiencing your forgiveness (See Mark 11:25). To say that I need your help to forgive others the way you have always been forgiving toward me is a huge understatement. You forgave the unforgivable on the cross. I acknowledge that I am incapable of forgiving on my own. Remind me that I cannot make my forgiveness conditional upon whether people deserve it or not, and that the focus of my heart must remain on becoming more like you. Give me grace to forgive, and not hold forgiveness back until the other person says or does what I think they should. Take away anything of anger, bitterness, or resentment in my heart. Pour out your Spirit upon me and cleanse me of all that’s not of you. Enable me to walk in the forgiveness you have given me and to extend it to others. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”

Soul food: Num 7; Matt 6:1-18; Ps 37:8-15; Prov 11:3

Use your God-given creativity

The Bible says God “filled them with skill to do all manner of work of the engraver and the designer and the tapestry maker, in blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine linen, and of the weaver – those who do every work and those who design artistic works” (v. 35 NKJV). When God calls you to do something, He has already placed within you the ability to accomplish it. Satan hopes you never discover that. He wants you to remain trapped in the status quo, believing that the way things are is how they will always be. Not so! When you change your thinking, your life begins to change. “As he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7 KJV).

As long as you are content to remain as you are, you will never begin to think creatively. But when you decide you want your life to change for the better, you become teachable and open yourself to becoming creative. Like anything else in life, creativity begins with one idea. Then those ideas multiply! And each creative idea you have increases your ability to become a creative thinker.

Poet Maya Angelou observed: “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have. Sadly, too often creativity is smothered rather than nurtured. There has to be a climate in which new ways of thinking, perceiving, and questioning are encouraged.”

If you cultivate creative thinking, there is no telling what kind of ideas you will come up with or how far you will go in life. Are you ready to start? Ask your Creator for a creative idea, then step out in faith and act on it.

Soul food: Num 4:34-6:27; Matt 5:38-48; Ps 37:1-7; Prov 11:1-2