Angels Among Us

On today's episode we talk a little bit about angels--both the heavenly kind and the earthly kind. I also share a story from my family history which teaches about earthly angels. Are There Angels in the World Today?First, I need to do a shout out to Elizabeth Allen, who shared her wonderful story last week about her son Jesse passing away. She also shared how she learned to see signs of Jesse in her life--that his light would appear in pictures that they were taking, and he was often with them. So we're going to talk about those kinds of angels, friends and people we know and love who come and be with us from the other side. And we're also going to talk about physical angels that come into our lives at the moment we need them the very most. A Favorite Old Testament StoryA couple of years ago I was at a church event, and they invited us to turn to the person next to us and share our favorite story from the Old Testament. And this is the story that I shared. Because it is one of those stories that impressed me so much when I first heard it. Elisha and the SyriansThis story is found in 2 Kings chapter 6. And in this story, we have the prophet Elisha, and and there's a war going on between Israel and Syria. And every time the Syrians go to make a move, it seems like the Israelites are prepared, and they know exactly what the Syrians are doing. Finally, the King of Syria like, What's going on? Who is the spy among us? Basically, who is telling the Israelites about our plans? And one of the people who was advising the king of Syria said it's none of us. Israel has a prophet named Elisha, and he is counseling them what to do. And the King decided he wanted to talk to this prophet guy. Where is he so that I can talk to him? They said, He's in a city called Dothan. And so the Syrians went and surround this city called Dothan in the middle of the night. It says here in 2 Kings 6:14-17 it says, "They came by night and compassed the city about. And when the servant of the man of God was risen early and gone for behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, (so he's talking to Elisha), "Alas, my master! how shall we do?" So at this point, He's like, We're dead. We are surrounded by our enemies. Elisha Sees The Chariots of FireSo Elijah, looking as only a prophet can, looked at the surrounding Syrian army and gave this powerful, powerful response. "And he answered, fear not for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elijah prayed and said, Lord, I pray thee open his eyes that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire, round about Elisha." So often, we, like the servant of Elisha, look at the world around us, and we freak out. There are so many things nowadays that can bring fear into our lives. My message today is "fear not they that be with us are more than they that be with them." Loneliness During the CoronavirusI think one of the most challenging things about the coronavirus and quarantining us to our homes is that it has been a very isolating experience. Perhaps we feel more alone than we have felt our entire lives. We feel alone, forgotten, like nobody cares, and that nobody understands what we're going through. And so my response to you is first, God understands. Second, you're not alone. And I want to drive that home. Because there are horses and chariots and angels round about you. You may not see them, but they are there. And you can call on God, to have those angels be with you to help you "see" and feel the angels that are with you. You may not see them with your physical eyes, but you can see them with spiritual eyes. There are family members and loved ones who are with us in our deepest and hardest moments of trial. I've had too many experiences in my life, to be able to say different. Learning About...