ANGELS WATCHING OVER US

1 Kings 19:1-21; Acts 12:1-23; Psalm 136:1-26; Proverbs 17:14-15

“…The Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And a voice said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’”

“The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate. Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, ‘Quick! Get up!’ And the chains fell off his wrists. Then the angel told him, ‘Get dressed and put on your sandals.’ And he did. ‘Now put on your coat and follow me,’ the angel ordered. So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a vision. He didn’t realize it was actually happening.”

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods. His faithful love endures forever.”

What would we do differently if we knew we were surrounded by angels? That’s kind of like asking how we would live if we knew we could not fail. I’m not sure what I would do, but I do know where I would start: with fear, or rather, celebrating the absence of fear. Wrapped in the wings of celestial beings, I wouldn’t worry about physical injury or looking like a fool. I wouldn’t worry about emotional instability. I wouldn’t worry about finances or the office. In short, I wouldn’t worry, period. Guarded by angels, I wouldn’t have to be anxious about anything.

Well, I wouldn’t have to worry about anything, but I probably would fret nonetheless. Because angels sound too good to be true. They seem like fantasy, not real life. Swooping down in the nick of time, angels are pictured saving the hapless from all manner of evil and self-destructive behavior. Angels in the Outfield are filmed helping mediocre athletes become great. Well, Lord, where are your angels now? Why do they not protect us from ourselves? Confronted with  - or blinded by – reality, it’s easy to dismiss the idea of angels… until you’ve seen one. A person can never be quite the same after an experience like that.

Back in the late 80s, my wife and I served as Sponsors for our church’s growing Youth Ministry. We had gotten quite close to many of the kids, and this particular day was sad because so many seniors were graduating and moving on to college or adult independence. It marked, for many, the end of innocence and a testing of all they’d learned as kids and teens. As I crafted the message for that evening, very clearly, I felt called to speak to their fears of the coming unknowns. But the harder I worked, the more difficult it became. How does one respond effectively to the paranoia of everyday life? What does one say to another bound by stress? I could not presume to know the fears of that generation, and my own anxiety about my personal inadequacy only increased as the time of our session approached. I took a break. I got up, stretched and headed off for a glass of water. Around a corner, I came face to face with an angel.

Stay with me. This was no illusion. I’ve tried to describe what I saw numerous times since, yet nothing does the being justice. (Forget the wings, though.) However, there is no doubt in my mind that there was an angel, because I immediately knew precisely what it feels like to be overcome by the holiness of the Lord. Never before or since have I felt so dirty and fearful on the one hand and so humble and awestruck on the other. A raw power crackled through the air. The angel then spoke clearly, although not audibly. I received his reminder – “perfect love casts out fear” – in stunned silence. Then, he was gone. 

The message that night was the same as it is today. Perfect love does cast out fear. Our fear is in direct proportion to the amount of time we spend thinking of ourselves. If we truly love, we put others first, and fear fades proportionately. I do not know why this is exactly. I only know that if we desire to live fearlessly, we need to live for others.

Peter and Elijah both had their issues and their times of cowardice. They also knew what it was to have angels watching over them. Those angels guided. They inspired and protected. They shared a good word. But mainly, they were present, providing tangible counsel and physical assistance. The next time we start fearfully thinking we are outside the reach of God, let’s remember there is no place we can go where the Father won’t send His angels to be with us. The fact we seldom, if ever, see them does not make them any less real. It just proves we need to sharpen our spiritual vision considerably.