Angels Watchin' Over Me...

This picture used to hang in my room when I was a child.  I would gaze at it while I lay in bed at night and imagine being one of those children walking over that old rickety bridge in the darkness with no mom or dad to help me across.  If you know me you know that I have a very vivid and active imagination.  So you can only guess the different scenarios that these poor children went through night after night.  One would get his leg stuck where the plank was missing while the other would try to pull him out safely without losing her balance and falling off the edge.  On another occasion, they would dare to trust the unstable railing and it would break just as they put their weight on it.  Or else a troll would come up from under the bridge and provide another menacing obstacle for the poor children.  I could hear the thunder of the water rushing underneath them and the creaking of the wooden boards under their feet.  I remember feeling afraid, lonely, and cold.  But every night they made it across safely because that beautiful, majestic angel was always there to protect them.  If they fell, the angel would catch them.  If a board broke under their feet, the angel would lift them back up.   The children never failed to end up tucked into their cozy beds at home sleeping safe and sound.   

Today as I look at the picture I have that same feeling of worry and fear, because I now imagine that those children are my own two boys walking across that unstable bridge without me or my husband there to help them across.  I can't imagine that they would ever be in this particular situation, but I know that there will be times when when mommy or daddy won't be there to tell them what to do or to pick them up when they fall.  It's a thought that brings me to my knees, because it makes me realize that only God is the One who will always be there for my kids.  He alone knows what they need at all times.  He is the One who will see them through every trial and every fear.  He is the One who can send a host of angels to come to their aid at a moment's notice.  

I recently read this verse about angels in the first chapter of Hebrews verse 14.  "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?"  This particular verse says that angels are "ministering spirits."  To minister means "to serve," and comes partly from the Greek word "ergon" which means "to work."  I think of ergonomics which is the study of efficiency in a working environment.  Angels are also "spirits" which means they are (typically) not visible, they are like a breath or a wind.  You can see their power or their works, but they are immaterial.  Of course there are cases when people are able to see angles and even talk with them documented in the Bible, but I'm not sure how all that works.  

So these invisible workers are sent from God why???  Well the verse says that they are sent to serve those who will "inherit salvation."  That's me!!!  And I hope that's you too.  If you're not sure you if will inherit salvation please stop now and watch the "Ultimate Question" videos.   If you are sure of your salvation in Christ, then bask in the fact that God sends His angels out to help YOU!  Be thankful that every day, whether we acknowledge them or not, God's servants are helping us, guiding us, and saving us (and our children) from wreckage.  And just like those two helpless children in the picture, His angels guide us safely across our broken-down bridges that hang perilously over troubled waters.  All for God's glory!

Now, here's a little blast from the past for you Amy Grant fans.  "Angel's Watching Over Me" Video