Oh the wonder...

Does life ever make you smile? I am convinced that our God delights in hiding His unfathomable humor in the most intriguing ways. Once revealed, we can only look up, shake our head, and smile, for "how unsearchable His judgements, His ways past finding out!" (Romans 8:33)

When we ask for strength, He makes us weak. We look for love, and all is stripped away. We cling to life, only to realize it is "when we lose our lives, for His sake" do we actually find it. "Oh God, make us grow!" we cry with our hearts... and then stand stunned as He painfully humbles us, to bring us low.

Yet, how else, could we learn of His love? If He should show us the path that must be trod, that hard road beaten down with the blood of the saints, would our hearts faint and shudder away? If we knew what lay before us, would we have the courage to step ahead?

"My grace is sufficient", always sufficient. I strain my eyes to see, hoping for a glimpse at what the future holds. But it is not to be, for one step is all He asks of me. Oh, there are days, yes I will admit, when all that is in me cries, "run ahead!" Yet His voice ever follows, and calls out to me, "trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding".

I think myself wise, then consider the birds and remember His words. "Look at the birds, for they neither sow nor reap... yet your heavenly Father feeds them". So why, O my soul, do you carry on so? Does His grace He ever give, for the trials up ahead?

"In all your ways, acknowledge Him", that is all we are asked to do. Does it make you feel small?

Do I dare to say, only then will He be all?

A little study on Angels..

An Angel’s Prerogative

An Angel is a “Messenger”, created by God (Neh 9:6) to do His will and glorify His Name!

I.             Characteristics

a.    Stronger than men, but not omnipotent (2 Peter 2:11)

b.    More knowledgeable than man, but not omniscient (2 Sam 14:20, Matt 24:36)

c.     Wiser than man, but not omnipresent (Dan 9:21-23)

II.           Purpose and Work of Angels

a.    Worship and Praise God (Isaiah 6:1-3)

b.    Messengers to communicate God’s will to men (Passage above, Dan 9:21-23)

                                         i.    Guiding men, giving instruction (Matthew 1:20, Acts 8:26, Acts 10:1-8)

c.     Providing – food for Elijah (1 Kings 19:4-6)

d.    Delivering men from danger, released apostles from prison in Acts 5:17-20 etc

e.    Answering prayer – Acts 12:1-17

f.     Cares for believers at moment of death – Lazarus (Luke 16:22)

III.         How many angels are there?

a.    Myriads of Angels

                                         i.    Dan 7:10

                                        ii.    2 Kings 6:17 (cool story to read if you have time!)

IV.         How do they appear?

a.    Can appear as Men or  full of glory

                                         i.    Glory – men shake with fear (Matt 28:2-4)

                                        ii.    Ordinary man (Heb 13:2; Gen 18:1-2)