When Good Angels Talk
By Jack W. Hayford
The Bible tells us that God
sends angels at various times to bring messages of His divine intent
to people who are open to His saving grace. The Bible documents
many such messages. I am encouraged when I read about them in the
Bible, because I know that when God speaks mercy and kindness to
one human being, He is ready to speak the same thing to anybody
in similar circumstances or need. God does not have favorites.
God cares about you. He cares about your needs, your longings,
your fears and your future. Have you ever wondered if God will fulfill
your longings? Does it seem that your future is uncertain? Do you
feel trapped in an area of your life? Are you navigating through
a tough storm? Whatever your situation is, God has a message of
hope for you! That message is intended to help you realize your
destiny and His ultimate goal for your life.
We will look at four times in the Bible when angels came at God's
direction to tell people what God was going to do for them. Be assured
that the Eternal God wants you to hear the same type of messages
in your life.
Before we begin, it is important that we all have a common understanding.
We do not depend on angels to give us a message from God, for He
has given us His revealed Word, sent the Holy Spirit, and given
us His Body, His Church. But when God's angels do speak, we would
be wise to listen to what they say.
THE TRUTH ABOUT ANGELS
When angels talk, listen carefully.
Angels are real beings. The Bible, our primary Sourcebook, contains
a wealth of information about angels. It tells us that angels are
intelligent beings who were created by God. It also tells us that
there are good angels and evil (fallen) angels.
The evil angels have rebelled against God and are not in God's
order. They live in the darkness and speak a message that leads
a person down a dark path. If a person tries to relate to them,
there can come about every kind of confusion and destruction in
his or her life. This is not the kind of angel I am writing to you
about today.
God's angels point the way to Jesus Christ. They do not want
to be sought out or worshipped; they are messengers from God who
speak His message of tender care to those who are open to His saving
grace. If we are going to hear anything about what these angels
say, we need to be in a place where we can hear God's Word and take
its authority with reference to our lives.
(Genesis 2:1; Isaiah 14:12-15; Psalm 34:7; Psalm 103:20,21; Matthew
25:41; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15; Ephesians 6:10-13; Colossians 1:16;
Hebrews 1:14; Revelation 12:3,4,9)
ABRAHAM AND SARAH'S
STORY: DELAYED HOPE
(Genesis 18:1-15)
Abraham and his wife, Sarah, had been promised a child by the Lord.
But years had gone by, and now they were past their childbearing
years. It seemed that this promise of a child would be unfulfilled
unless a miracle happened. One day, the Lord came with angels to
Abraham to say that God was going to keep His promise--Sarah would
soon bear a son. Within the time appointed, Abraham and Sarah became
parents of a baby boy, Isaac.
GOD'S MESSAGE: God will fulfill
your longings.
God fulfilled Abraham and Sarah's lifetime longing for a child.
God did what He had promised, and He will fulfill His promise to
you.
HIS PROMISE: Psalm 37:3-5;
Proverbs 3:5,6
MY PRAYER:
"Dear God, thank you for the words of hope and promise You
spoke to Abraham and Sarah. This encourages me to believe that You
will also fulfill Your promises to me. I believe your Word that
if I trust You and delight myself in You, You shall give me the
desires You have put in my heart. Even though the answer may be
slow in coming, I will trust in You and commit my way to You. I
praise You for Your faithful promise that You have a good plan for
me. In Jesus' name, Amen."
JACOB'S STORY: UNCERTAIN
FUTURE
(Genesis 28:10-22)
Jacob was running for his life. He had reason to believe that his
brother, Esau, wanted to kill him. While Jacob was asleep one night,
he saw a vision of angels ascending to heaven and descending to
earth on what appeared to be a huge ladder. The Lord spoke to Jacob
that night to reaffirm the promise that God would establish Jacob's
descendants on this land. He spoke these comforting words to Jacob:
"Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go."
GOD'S MESSAGE: God will secure
your future.
Jacob didn't think he had a future, but God sent angels to let
him know that there was angel care surrounding him. Through this
vision of angels, God was saying to Jacob that He will send messengers
to proclaim the presence and the promise of God even when we are
in fearful situations.
HIS PROMISE: Jeremiah 29:11;
Philippians 1:6
MY PRAYER:
"Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the message that You love
me and care about me. Thank you for the assurance that You hold
my future in Your hand. No matter what the circumstances look like
now, I'm persuaded that You will bring to completion the good work
which You have already begun in me. Through Christ, my Lord, Amen."
PETER'S STORY: TRAPPED
IN PRISON
(Acts 12:5-11)
Peter was locked in prison for sharing his testimony of Jesus Christ.
He was placed in the innermost dungeon of three tiers of cells.
To escape was humanly impossible. At night when Peter was asleep,
an angel appeared and said, "Follow me." In what Peter
thought was his dream, he got up and followed the angel. Each of
the prison doors opened automatically before the angel, and each
guard in succession at the three respective doors was struck with
sleep. Peter, still in a dreamlike state, walked out of the prison
completely free. As Peter stood there amazed, he suddenly realized
that this wasn't a dream and that an angel of God had delivered
him.
GOD'S MESSAGE: God will free
you from your prison.
You may not be locked in a physical jail like Peter, but it is
possible that there is something in your life that has trapped you.
It could be the bonds of an addiction or a ferocious temptation.
It could be a past injury or trauma that has registered pain in
your soul and imprisoned your emotions or your mind.
If you have a place in your life that is encased in a prison, know
that the Lord Jesus Christ was sent "to heal the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison
to those who are bound."
HIS PROMISE: Isaiah 61:1;
Revelation 1:18; Psalm 142:6; Psalm 91:15
MY PRAYER:
"Father, I am grateful that You are all-powerful and that You
hold the keys to death and hell. Lord, I invite You to free me in
those points of my life that are bound. I join my prayer with the
Psalmist who cried, "Bring my soul out of prison, that I may
praise Your name." Whether You free me from my prison instantly,
or one step at a time, I thank You for Your promise which says if
I call upon You, You will answer me; You will be with me in trouble;
You will deliver me. In Christ's name I pray, Amen."
PAUL'S STORY: CAUGHT
IN A STORM
(Acts 27:23-26)
The apostle Paul and nearly 300 others were on a ship on the Mediterranean
Sea during the autumn season. They got caught in a vicious storm
system called the Euroclydon. (This same type of storm occurs in
that part of the world to this day.) For many days they battled
this storm, and it appeared that they were about to be shipwrecked.
Loss of the ship and heavy loss of life seemed inevitable.
In this situation, an angel came to Paul who told him not to be
afraid. The angel told Paul there would be no loss of life--only
the ship would be lost. What the angel said came to pass. Although
the ship was destroyed, all the passengers escaped safely to the
island of Malta.
GOD'S MESSAGE: God will bring
you through the storm.
In the middle of Paul's storm there came the comfort and the confidence
of God's presence by an angel messenger. The message to you is that
God will bring you through the storms you face. As you go through
things that threaten to destroy you, He will attend to your way
and bring His full deliverance.
HIS PROMISE: Hebrews
13:5; Psalm 46;1-3,7
MY PRAYER:
"Dear Lord, thank you for the assurance of Your presence through
the stormy seasons of my life. I take heart in the fact that Your
loving presence will guide me through whatever difficulties I face.
Through Jesus my Lord, Amen."
God will fulfill our longings. God will secure our futures. God
will free us from our prisons. God will bring us through the storm.
These are just a few of the messages our loving Heavenly Father
longs to communicate to us.
In the Bible, God sent faithful angels to deliver these messages.
They spoke the message God spoke. As God speaks to us, may we hear
the Word of the Lord and faithfully apply it in our lives.
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Jack
Hayford Ministries
14800 Sherman Way, Van Nuys, CA 91405-2233