“Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?”
Hebrews 1:14 (NIV)
I may be a widow living with a cat and a dog, but I honestly never think of myself as living alone. I know without a doubt that I’m surrounded by angels, and I mean that in the most plural sense.
If we receive a gift from someone, we show our gratitude by opening it and using what we were given. Jesus taught us that God has given each of us angels to guard and protect us. Since angels are God’s gifts to us, sent to serve us as ministering spirits, shouldn’t we show our gratitude to Him by using the gifts He has given us?
If anyone watched the news lately, there was a story this week about an Ohio man who was approached by police with an arrest warrant, as he was getting into his van. His 9 month old son was sitting in his car seat in the back of the van. The man decided to bolt, and took off at a speed of 100 mph down the highway, in a police chase.
The back door of the van was never shut, so the door swung open and the baby was thrown from the van strapped into his car seat, bouncing several times on the grassy side of the highway. The chase took place at night so the police never saw the baby thrown from the van.
The man was apprehended and an hour later, they found the baby still strapped in his car seat on the side of the road in the dark, cold night.
He was cold but fine, miraculously, without a single injury. I have no doubt that the helpless baby had supernatural assistance, specifically “heavenly assistants”, in the form of angels, who brought a safe outcome.
Jesus told us to ask anything in His name, so I habitually ask for multiple angels to dwell in my home and to surround my car, everywhere I go. I also ask God to surround my loved ones with angels.
I believe we can ask for angels to give skill and wisdom to our doctors, so they will make the best decisions. I also ask for angels to give skill and wisdom to any serviceman who comes to do repairs in my home.
I’ll never forget the time I called a plumbing company I never used before. They were sending out a plumber to check a leaky pipe in my basement. I specifically prayed for God to send an angel along with the plumber and give him whatever skill and wisdom he needed to solve the problem. The doorbell rang, and a young man was standing at my door in a uniform, wearing a name tag that quickly drew my attention, as it read “Gabriel.”
Gabriel efficiently solved the leak problem and seemed very honest and competent. I even requested him for a different plumbing issue later, but was told he moved out of state.
God is good to us, blessing us with heavenly assistants, even when we are totally unaware. Paul tells us not to forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing so, some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.
(Hebrews 13:2)
It’s a fascinating thought, and I’ve heard of numerous stories of people who received help from a stranger, who disappeared afterward. Angels will come to help us in disguise as regular people, if they deem it necessary.
Let’s not forget that we are protected by angels, even when we have put God to the test by making very bad decisions. Guardian angels couldn’t have worked harder than during my teenage years, long before I ever knew that God or angels ever existed.
When I was sixteen, my friend, Wendy and I used to hitchhike everywhere, since neither of us had a car. We assumed anyone who picked us up was a nice, normal person doing us a favor. It was the year 1969, the days of peace, love, and in my case, a bit of stupidity.
We would routinely hitchhike rides from the north side of Chicago where we lived, to Old town, which was a popular hang out in the near north side of Chicago. We lied to our parents, saying that we were taking public transportation.
Reflecting on the incredible risks we took, I know now that by God’s grace we were protected by angels. The riskiest experience we had while hitchhiking, was when a man picked us up and said he had to make a brief stop to bring some things up to his apartment. We agreed to wait in the car for him, but he asked if we would help him carry some bags up.
As we carried bags up to his third floor apartment, we asked him more questions, and he told us he just got out of jail, for charges of assault and battery, and was moving back into his place. Wendy and I looked at each other and after dropping off the bags, we silently headed towards the door. He followed us out the door, drove us to our destination, and never harmed us.
What are the chances that an encounter like that could turn out so uneventful ? Only by the grace of God and maybe angelic protection.
Wendy has since moved to Florida where she lives with her husband in retirement. As I was reminiscing about that day, I decided to message her and ask if she remembered it. She said that she was just thinking about the same thing. Since it came to both our minds at the same time, I believe the Holy Spirit was leading me to reflect on the theme of angelic protection, which is what inspired this meditation.
Scripture says that God commands His angels to guard us in “all our ways.” (Psalm 91:11)
All our ways means there is nothing they won’t do to keep us safe. There is no limit to how an angel or multiple angels will intervene to protect us, or our loved ones. It may not even occur to us until later, that we have all been supernaturally spared or protected at some point in our life.
Reflecting on God’s mercy and goodness to us in our times past, strengthens our faith for the current struggles we face. I believe if we ask for multiple angels to guide and protect us, others or our loved ones, we will receive it. Jesus told us all things are possible, if we believe.
Lord, we praise you for the many times you have surrounded us with heavenly protectors, your angels. We thank you for your patience, love and grace, and especially for the gift of angels that you have given us. Amen