Aware Of Angels

Are [angels] not all ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of those who are to obtain salvation?

Hebrews 1:14 RSV

Angels are messengers of God who serve men as ministering spirits (Hebrews 1:14). So far as I know, no Scripture says that the Holy Spirit ever manifested Himself in human form to men, as Jesus did in His incarnation. The glorious Holy Spirit can be everywhere at the same time, but no angel can be in more than one place at any given moment. We know the Holy Spirit as spirit, not flesh, but we can know angels not as spirits alone but sometimes also in visible form.

At the same time, both angels and the Holy Spirit are at work in our world to accomplish God’s perfect will. Frankly, we may not always know the agent or means God is using—the Holy Spirit or the angels—when we discern God’s hand at work. We can be sure, however, that there is no contradiction or competition between the Holy Spirit and God’s command of the angelic hosts. God Himself is in control to accomplish His will—and in that we can rejoice!

God uses angels to work out the destinies of men and nations. He has altered the courses of the busy political and social arenas of our society and directed the destinies of men by angelic visitation many times over. We must be aware that angels keep in close and vital contact with all that is happening on the earth. Their knowledge of earthly matters exceeds that of men. We must attest to their invisible presence and unceasing labors. Let us believe that they are here among us. They may not laugh or cry with us, but we do know they delight with us over every victory in our lives.

Our Father and our God, Your magnificent angels attend to my every need. They protect me from the demons of Satan. They keep my feet on the right path to You. Thank You for their comfort and their care, Lord. Help me learn that angels are Your messengers—Your hands at work. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).