Clapping Angels

We have all been in venues where we have been amazed,  enlightened, encouraged, and embraced through music, word or dialogue.  Just think a minute about a time that you were part of an audience and a scene or a story, or even just a one liner just struck you with wonder, appreciation and tickled your heart or stirred up a feeling of awe down deep in your heart. We applaud not out of courtesy but out of appreciation for what we have seen or heard.  

Brad Thomas’ lesson at our Austin church this weekend told a story about Paul; recollecting the memories of Paul’s commitment to destroy Christians at every turn, and the miraculous  intervention that God pulled off to turn his life in a 360 degree turn, to not only accept Christians but to fight for them to know Christ and believe in his power, his way and his loving forgiveness. He was so entrenched in his passion for Christ that he ended up in jail.  Paul made some pretty big and bad life calls, but somewhere along his journey, ( that is another story)  Christ chose to reveal himself and

and rip open Paul’s heart and reveal His truth.  

Ok, I just loved the following analogy. We know that God has sent his angels to watch over us, but what we sometimes forget to realize is that those same angels get to see from their holy host God pull off some really wonderful miraculous deeds. And don’t you just know that when they do they cannot help but break out in applause from an event that they have witnessed up close and personal from the good seats. When they witnessed Paul’s conversion, it must have been an overwhelming experience to realize yet another one of God’s mighty majestic works. I just have this image of the angels just overflowing with joy at the sight of an event that was so contrary to how we think things should roll out. 

While we so many times sit in judgement of one another, God sits on his mighty throne with all his power and his glory and can and does change even the hardest of hearts for his own benefit, right in front of the watching eyes of his holy host. Ok, here is my point.  If you just imagine a minute that angels are watching you and me, and they are, it is biblical, consider life’s stage and each time we override sin and do the right thing instead of the easy thing, they applaud at success that God is having in his transformation of us. Christ already knows his plans and what is going to happen and how we are going to deal with the stuff that he has allowed to fall in our laps as well as the things he has ordained to fall before us. Oh but, the applause of angels is a direct indication that God’s way is working, and as big and bad of sinners that we are, he is tackling us from the inside, planting his truth, and sending us on our way to praise him no matter what the circumstances, and share the truth that we know with others who have not yet come to the realization that God is a God of action and vision and grace and forgiveness.  

If God can use a guy like Paul with a life standing backdrop from whence he has come then we are candidates in a prime position for God’s work in his kingdom.  He can and does take our mistakes and failures and flat out defiance and transform us through his very truth. The mystery of Christ is known through the revelation of Christ.  He reveals himself to each of us when he knows we are ripe for the listening.  

When you go out today, just consider the host of angels that are watching over you.  If God would let us pull back his curtain and peek, I think we truly would be overwhelmed at how much support we have behind the scenes to do the right thing. And boy when we do, I can just imagine them clapping.  It just was a fun analogy but one that I think will certainly stick for a while.

Angels are watchers, but they are also ministering spirits whose main job is to work under the authority of Christ.  They long to see the grace of God working in the church and oh when they do they clap.  May we do unto God what he has called us to do and be who he has called us to be. 

Psalm 103:19-21

The Lord has established his throne in heaven,   and his kingdom rules over all.Praise the Lord, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding,who obey his word.Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,  you his servants who do his will. 

Psalm 91:11

For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;

Matthew 4:6

“If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:“‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

Angels clap not for what we have done but for what God is doing through us.

Dear Lord, Thank you that you have sent not only your spirit to be with us but you have sent angels to watch over us and minster to us. Help us to be aware of their presence and honor and praise you for their existence.  Amen            

Praise God wherever you are and whatever situation He has allowed you to be in . . . His glory will shine through!