Psalm 34: 7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him and he delivers them.

There is much that has been said and written about angels and there are drawings and representations of all kinds. Some are depicted as pink-cheeked baby cherubs with wings and others as warring angels in military gear. I suppose each of us has a picture in his/her mind of what an angel looks like. I once had a vision of two angels and apart from their awesome brilliance, what struck me most was the authority they exuded. That experience left me both terrified and reassured at having had a glimpse of something heavenly. And no, they did not speak to me or I probably would not be alive to write about it. I was merely allowed to observe.

The Scriptures leave us in no doubt as to the existence and functions of angels. The Old Testament speaks often about the activities of the “angel of the Lord” as encountered by different individuals. And in the New Testament it was an angel who appeared to Zechariah to inform him he would become the father of John the Baptist, and later to the virgin Mary to explain her pregnancy. It was angels who brought the good news of Jesus’ birth to the shepherds in the field. Not only do angels exist to do God’s bidding, but in  Revelation 5:11, we get a glimpse into heaven as the voices of innumerable angels unite in worship around the throne singing, “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”

We are all familiar with the concept of ‘guardian angels’. David, whose life was constantly threatened, wrote confidently of angelic presence, “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them” (Psalm 34: 7). Do angels have a role in the individual lives of believers? In exalting the Son’s superiority above angels, Hebrews 1:14 pose the question: “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?”  What an awesome inheritance for believers that the God of heaven would care enough to undertake for our safety and send angels to minister to us. Awesome!!