Anxious Angels

Angels have to be extraordinary beings.  If it’s possible that some agents may have once been human beings rather than created heavenly beings, then they must be exceedingly mature and unselfish people.  Maybe that’s part of their qualifications for angel work.  I don’t know because the Bible gives us only a few insights into these amazing agents of God.  The reason I’m so impressed with their character, among many other things, is my awareness of how much we totally ignore and avoid giving them credit for anything they “might” have done.  Yes, the word “might” is the pivotal word in that sentence.  I guess because their involvement is only a possibility, we don’t think about them very much, but if my understanding of the Bible is anywhere close to being correct, they actively carry out the providential work of God.  They are an important part of God’s plan for our life.  They do many things to guide, lead, protect, and insert us in places we need to be, but…and I guess this is the real reason for our lack of giving recognition, we don’t see them or we aren’t aware when THAT stranger may just be an angel of God.

I have thought a great deal about this lately when I hear so many people ascribe their “good fortune” to “good luck” or “coincidence.”  How much of what happens to us is as far removed from happenstance as dinner is from cooking?  Last Sunday, during our marriage retreat communion service, a brother collapsed with obvious heart problems.  His pulse was dropping and his breathing was shallow.  Before he could fall to the floor, ladies who were nurses in our group had him and immediately began working on him.  EMT’s were there in a couple minutes and the local hospital was only blocks away.  Was that all coincidence?  Was it luck?  Did God arrange things so it would happen where care could be given immediately and allow that brother to go home that very afternoon?  I’m not saying that those ladies or EMT’s were literal angels from God, but did any of His angels have a part in making sure they were there, ready, and prepared?

When I started this blog with comments about the extraordinary character of angels, I was actually thinking about the whole process of them carrying out the plan of God and never getting any attention, notice, or appreciation for what they do.  It takes amazing character to simply do your job and not need praise and affirmation.  They only care about doing God’s will and glorifying Him.  Wait!  Isn’t that what we are supposed to do too?  (I Corinthians 10:31, Colossians 3:17)  Still, would it hurt to give angels a little shout of thanks every now and then?  Who knows!  You might just make their day!