Messengers

In 1 Kings 19:7–8, we read:

“Suddenly an angel touched [Elijah] and said to him, ‘Get up and eat.’ [Elijah] looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again.”

An angel touched him…

Hmm… I don’t know what you think about when you think about angels. Sometimes I picture Renaissance paintings—little fat cherubs with wings. But the Hebrew word for angel simply means messenger. There is no description of this angel. In fact, in the New Testament book of Hebrews, we are told:

“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers… for by doing so, some have entertained angels without knowing it.”

In other words, these angels might not be what you expect.

I remember one time locking my keys in the car in a rough part of town in a foreign country. I had my surfboard on the roof, and I was starting to get really anxious. This guy came up out of nowhere. He looked like he might be deranged—his hair was wild, his clothes tattered. He asked me if I needed help. Almost before I could respond, he had the car unlocked and handed me the keys that were sitting on the seat. He smiled, then walked away.

I don’t know whether that was an angel. But I do believe that God often brings people into our lives just when we need them most. I imagine many of you have had the experience of someone coming alongside you at a low point—speaking just the right words, bringing a meal, paying a bill, offering to pray for you…

Sometimes it’s in those little coincidences—or what seems like luck—meeting just the right person at just the right time, that we sense something or someone greater is behind it.

Today, let’s take this a step further. I invite you to be open to God working through you. Maybe you could be a messenger—an angel—to someone else in need.

Let us pray:  We thank you for your grace, O God, and for your providence. We thank you for the people you’ve brought into our lives who have impacted us in large and small ways. Keep us ever open to your Spirit’s leading. As we have been blessed, may we be a blessing. In Christ’s name. Amen.