In our evening services at our church we have been working our way through the book of Daniel, in the Old Testament. On Sunday evening I had the joy of looking at chapter 10, which includes an astonishing encounter Daniel had with an angel. It is quite easy to get carried away with talk of angels and whether we have guardian angels and what they look like. But to do that means we miss the point. Angels are messengers from God. The important thing is the message from God, not the messenger. ‘Angel’ simply means ‘messenger’, ‘one who is sent with a message’.

We have a phrase, “Don’t shoot the messenger” for when someone delivers bad news, well perhaps we should also have, “Don’t exalt the messenger” for when they have a message from God.

Among the things God told Daniel through this heaven-sent delivery boy were these phrases:

“You are highly esteemed” (which means ‘precious to God’)

“Do not be afraid”

“Peace”

“Be strong now, be strong.”

Those words spoke powerfully to me. Imagine that they are words for you, for your family, for your friends. Receive them as words from God just for you. Share them with others as words from God for them.

And as you do you will be an angel – a messenger from God! (Wings and halo optional!).

Be blessed, be a blessing

A husband and wife were in a car. The husband was driving very fast and very erratically.

“Slow down,” urged the wife.

The husband grinned, “It’s okay dear, don’t you believe in guardian angels who are looking over us?”

“Yes I do,” said the wife, “but I think he fell off the car about half a mile back.”