Three times today angels are mentioned. The chapter opens with an angel helping Peter escape from prison. Upon his escape Peter flees to the home of Mary, where the church gathered. As Peter knocks on the door, the servant Rhoda announces to the group it is Peter, but the gathered community doesn’t believe her, replying instead, “It must be his angel” (15). Lastly it is an angel who strikes Herod down for not giving praise and glory to God (23).
The ‘no-big-deal’ approach to angels –another way to say it might be the ‘not-surprised-by-angelic-presence’- of the early Christians caught me off guard. Truth is for me, angels and angelic presence, is more of a faith-belief (I see it in scripture and therefore believe) as opposed to a life reality. I have never personally experienced or seen an angel in a manner in which I knew it was an angel. I will not say, however, that I have never experienced angelic presence or angelic protection. Possibly I have, I just didn’t know it was an angel.
My struggle and my ponderings today are bouncing around the activity of angels. Again, in Luke’s account, angelic activity is so matter of fact. I am wondering why that isn’t so for me or for the church I have experienced all my life? Truthfully, I have no satisfactory answer to my wonderings. Angelic activity is a given in scripture and therefore in my life. Why I am not aware of them or more aware of them I don’t know. It is this last thought that drives me to my knees in prayer.
Lord, why? Why am I so oblivious to angelic activity, at least compared to the women and men of the early church? Lord, is there something in my life –a lack of faith aspect- that is blocking me from seeing angelic reality? Is it Your protection and gift that I don’t need to know because knowing might puff me up in some way. Lord, I am left to wonder.
Lord, I believe in angels and their evil counter-parts, fallen angels/demons. Lord, I have witnessed the work of the latter in people’s lives. Lord, should it serve the kingdom advancement for me to become more cognizant of angelic presence and work, please open my eyes, heart and faith to their reality, much like you did for Elisha’s servant in 2Kings 6:15-17. But Lord, if kingdom advancement will not be aided by me knowing when and how angels are working, then, Lord, I will gladly continue serving You as I have so far in my life. All for Your glory, Lord. All for Your glory.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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