Thought for Thursday, December 20th

December 20, 2012

Considering The Angels

“I’ve been on the verge of being an angel all my life, but it’s never happened yet.”

-       Mark Twain

   Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

Matthew 1:18-20

Many of you may have noted over this past year that I take every opportunity I can to use a quote from Mark Twain.  He is one of my favored authors from childhood and I find many of his quips to be amusing and often insightful.  Today’s quote though serves no real purpose other than to introduce the subject matter at hand.   We are none of us, angels and in fact nor will we ever be angels in the literal sense, though we can be like an angel often in the lives of others who God may place in our path.

But that is not the topic of today.  I have noticed through the years in studying the Christmas story that angels have a preponderantly significant role in the entire event.

Their participation began with an appearance to Mary informing her of her honor and blessing in that she would be the mother of the Son of God.

An angel appeared to Joseph to instruct him and calm his concerns with regards to the situation his fiancé found herself in.

Angels appeared to the shepherds to declare His birth.

Angels rejoiced when He was born.

And angels rejoice over every soul that comes to repentance and accepts God’s glorious gift of salvation.  And of course they play many other important roles in the history of the world, as the Bible tells us.

So this would make me think angels are rather significant and important in God’s economy.  Yet scripture tells us that we are a little higher than the angels.  Does that not then mean we are extremely valuable and important to God? 

The question is this: is He as valuable and important to us as we are to Him?

Today’s Prayer

Father, many believe there are angles among us: watching over us and on occasion intervening on our behalves in our lives: and for their existence and their purpose I give thanks: I thank you too that you loved us a little more in that you gave your son for our souls, to die in our place and that is a claim no angel will ever get to make.