Day 332

Daniel 3:13-4:18, 2 Peter 2:1-22, Proverbs 29:1-9

Last week I had a number of conversations about angels. Now for some people angels are nice things that live in heaven with God, they have halos, wings and harps and they sit on clouds. Then there is the reality…

Angels are the messengers of God. We have seen over the course of the last year a number of times when angels have come to earth to pass a message on for God, perhaps two of the most well known are Mary and the shepherds. And angels still bring messages today.

There are the simple messages for people, then there are other kinds of messages that have to be put across, messages that say “this person is God’s – hands off!” These kinds of angels sometimes come in packs, and they have armour and swords instead of wings and harps and they are not the kind of people that you mess with – and they are very real.

The story that prompted my conversations was of a missionary who was being chased by a tribe of cannibals, not that long ago. They were convinced that this was the end for them and as they got back to their house they dropped the flimsy lock on the flimsy door and they fell to their knees praying. They prayed hard all night with the tribe at their door making all the noise of war. They prayed until morning until the cannibals slowly moved away. A few months later, only when the cannibal chief was actually converted, did he ask the missionary who the 100 men were, circling the house with swords drawn!*

This resonates with a story I was told at college by a lecturer of angels that have stood over him and a vision that was given to me of two men stood behind Claire and I protecting us, protection that we have known in a very real sense.

Such angels are not the things of fairy tales. They are not cute and cuddly and they are not a myth, They are big and strong and they are very very real. Whatever you are facing right now, if you need them, pray that God’s angels might surround and protect you.

 

* Story told by Simon Guillebaud at New Wine 2011