When you hear the word, angel, what do you
envision? Beings with flapping wings, golden halos, or beautiful voices? Or do
you envision cupid beings, guardian beings, or even not-at-all-possible beings?
What exactly does the word, angel, mean? In Greek an angel isangelos; in Hebrew an angel ismalak. Both words mean "messenger." In short, an angel is a messenger of God.
References about angels are found in almost every book of the Bible. From Genesis and the Garden of Eden to Revelation and our Heavenly Home, angels appeared to men and women to encourage and inspire, to help and save, but most importantly, to deliver a message from God. Continue reading....
What exactly does the word, angel, mean? In Greek an angel isangelos; in Hebrew an angel ismalak. Both words mean "messenger." In short, an angel is a messenger of God.
References about angels are found in almost every book of the Bible. From Genesis and the Garden of Eden to Revelation and our Heavenly Home, angels appeared to men and women to encourage and inspire, to help and save, but most importantly, to deliver a message from God. Continue reading....
For instance, in the Old Testament an angel appeared to Abraham when he was about to sacrifice his son (Genesis 22:11), an angel appeared to Moses when he was appointed to deliver the Israelites (Exodus 3:2), and an angel appeared to Daniel when he was thrown into the lions' den (Daniel 6:22). In the New Testament an angel appeared to Mary and Joseph to announce that they would soon have a baby (Matthew 1:20 and Luke 1:26), a host of angels appeared to the shepherds to proclaim the birth of our Saviour (Luke 2:10), and an angel appeared to Jesus to comfort and care after He had been tempted for forty days in the wilderness (Matthew 4:11).
That was then, but now, thousands of years later, it appears that angels don't need to appear. All we need do to receive or send a message is get on our cell phones, that is, our mouth and prayer. Sometimes it's easier to "text" than to call or visit in person. Often it's easier to communicate with a few short, encrypted words than to have a lengthy, personal conversation.
When the angels appeared in biblical times,
people stopped whatever they were doing and listened intently. They knew that
the angels were messengers of God, and that the angels had something vitally
important to share.
This still holds true today. We must always give God all our full attention when we pray, and then we must be silent and still and listen to what He says in return. Each and every day He sends us messages, no, not through a visual angel with flapping wings and a golden halo, not through a text or a phone call, but through His Holy Word and through friends and family and even strangers who encourage and inspire us. Because we can never know for sure, but as scripture says in Hebrews 13:2, sometimes we encounter angels without knowing it - these angels unaware.
This still holds true today. We must always give God all our full attention when we pray, and then we must be silent and still and listen to what He says in return. Each and every day He sends us messages, no, not through a visual angel with flapping wings and a golden halo, not through a text or a phone call, but through His Holy Word and through friends and family and even strangers who encourage and inspire us. Because we can never know for sure, but as scripture says in Hebrews 13:2, sometimes we encounter angels without knowing it - these angels unaware.
