Daily devotional, January 20, 2024 Angels
"If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;"
Psalm 91:9-11
One of the first prayers that I have learned as a child is a prayer to my guardian angel. I vividly remember my mom teaching me that prayer night after night as I go to bed. I also remember her telling me that whenever I do bad things as a child, my guardian angel gets sad.
Fast forward many years later, and with a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ, I believed the existence of angels all the more. As I grew in my faith I discovered what the Bible had to say about Angels and how God used them for His great purposes.
"The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them."
Psalm 34:7
What I have read in the Bible, I get to see unfold before my very eyes. I feel the presence of these angels especially in the most challenging times and seasons. I am sure you have felt these too as someone suddenly guides you through a difficult decision, a person who suddenly gives you comfort during a critical time, or even someone who protects you from danger or saves your life or that of a loved one.
Have you ever wondered why suddenly someone surfaces into your life during troublesome times, and assists or guides you as if she took it upon himself to get you out of the problem you are in?
Hagar, the slave girl of Abraham and Sarah, who bore Abraham a child, saw an angel as she ran away from Sarah. That encounter with an angel gave direction to her messy life:
"The angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. And he said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai.” The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her.” The angel of the Lord also said to her, “I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude.”
Genesis 16:7-10
Angels do not only come during crucial times. For me, they exist even in daily life: through a smile of someone, a person who happily assists, a sincere gesture from someone I am not really close to, or a random blessing from someone I hardly know or a complete stranger.
It could also be a person who suddenly reminded me of God’s love and promises. Or a person who brought good news that brightened up my day.
And as I reflect on my day to day encounters with angels, I realize that the way to see through them is gratitude. Yes they are heavenly beings but they could use even people we know to protect, guide, heal, and help us. And with grateful hearts we too can be angels for others too.
In his letter to the Hebrews, St. Paul the Apostle encouraged believers to be kind even to those whom they do not regard as family or friends:
"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
By showing kindness and generosity to strangers, we are abiding by the Lord’s command to love one another. It is as if we are accepting and serving Jesus Christ and His angels in our midst. This is clearly stated in the Gospel of Matthew:
"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me," Matthew 25:35
As we continue to nourish our relationship with Jesus Christ and sanctify our lives, we become more and more likely to act like angels to people around us. We get to help others without expecting anything in return. We carry out sincere gestures of love and kindness even to those we hardly know. We get to happily rejoice with others, and zealously show our concern to them and their loved ones.
When we strive to follow in our Lord’s footsteps, and encourage others to do so too, we get to fill the Earth with human angels out to protect and love each other.
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on Psalm 91 and Genesis 16:7-16 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: Have you ever had an encounter with an “angel” in your life? Have you been one to someone too?
Conversation with the Lord: Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for sending angels in my life. I praise and thank you for ensuring our protection, and for providing us with guidance through them. May you continue to inspire me to grow in Christlikeness, so that I, to, can be an angel for others. Amen.