No Small Assignment

“In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.
And the virgin’s name was Mary.”
—Luke 1:26-27 (ESV)

On the top of my Christmas tree sets a beautiful angel. Did you know that when God has a message to be communicated, He often times sends His angels to deliver it? Angels are created, spirit beings (Psalm 148:5) that serve God day and night. They are greater than us in knowledge and strength (2 Peter 2:11), except that is, in reference to spiritual things. Although they go back and forth from the presence of God, they cannot experience God in the way that we can and will. As a matter of fact, scripture states that angels long to understand our salvation (1 Peter 1:12) and that we will one day judge them (1 Corinthians 6:3). They are mighty and powerful, sent to minister to us who are to inherit salvation (Hebrews 1:14). We may even be entertaining angels unaware (Hebrews 13:2). We can honor them as fellow servants of Christ, but we must be careful not to worship them, pray to them, or seek them (Col. 2:18, Rev. 19:10). Satan, one of the fallen angels, seeks to destroy our life (John 10:10) and even masquerades as an angel of light in order to deceive us (2 Corinthians 11:14).

God sent one of these angelic beings to a town in the province of Galilee named Nazareth. Nazareth was a backwoods, small town, looked down upon by all who knew it (John 1:46). Nevertheless, to this little place God sent one of His powerful messengers. Gabriel was chosen to deliver one of the most important messages in history to a teenage girl named Mary. This was not a small assignment, for this girl was chosen to bear God’s Son, Jesus Christ.

We don’t have a calling as Mary did, but we still have a calling nonetheless. And God still employs the same angels He used with Mary now. While Mary had the incarnate Son of God in her womb, we have the Spirit of the risen Christ in our hearts. It’s amazing to me that God cares so much for us that He would send His servants, the angels, to announce great spiritual truths, and help and assist all of those who are to inherit salvation (Hebrews 1:14). God is intimately involved in the details of our life. He sent an angel from heaven to a teenage girl and He sends angels to help us in our time of need. Which means something most profound: God Himself knows what is going on in our lives. We are not talking about the President of the United States, or some dignitary or celebrity, but us. He pays attention to us and loves us, arranging His messengers to help us out. Incredible. It is almost beyond belief.

So, today, pause for a moment and consider the great lengths God has undergone to reach us. He sent an angel to Mary, to encourage her along the way. Unconventional to say the least, yet, that’s what God does. He does the unconventional in order to show His love. Don’t be discouraged today. See God’s hand at work as He orders the details of our life. Amen.

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