Angels Are Real
“Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”
Hebrews 13:2
I know I talk a lot about the devil and his little peons, demons, and I do so because I want you to be aware of them and their tactics. These tactics, if ignored, will destroy your life. It’s a goal of mine to shake up the soul of every Christian to start being aware of who really hates them the most: the real, present, demonic force, of Satan and demons.
However, just like the demons are real, angels are real too! Let’s not forget about them! All throughout the Bible, angels are talked about. They are used by God to send messages directly to people, they are used to protect people, and as Christ stood on trial before Pilate and the Pharisees, angels are used as a threat by Jesus.
Angels have an uninterrupted relationship with God, they are completely in-tune with His will. They worship Him day and night, and have a soft-spot for us humans, as God’s created beloved beings. They know we are weak because of our flesh and mindsets, and they help us out all the time with our weaknesses. They even minister to us and serve us spiritually (see Hebrews 1:14).
Years ago, my grandma had an angel appear to her as she swept the kitchen floor, late at night, praying.
Let me give you some background on my grandma: she is a saint, who married a monster. Nobody caused this sweet lady more unnecessary pain than my grandfather. Grandpa was an alcoholic, an abuser, a philanderer, and just about the exact opposite of Grandma.
Grandma said she married him because he said if she didn’t, he would kill himself. In her loving innocence, she actually believed him. The terror that my grandfather caused, not just my grandma, but also my dad, uncle, and aunts, was something out of a horror movie–but, they still had Grandma. Just like Grandma stepped up in my own personal childhood, to make a nightmare better, she did the same for her own kids as well. She never gave up.
Grandpa didn’t want anything to do with God, and he didn’t want Grandma going to church because he said she would “find another man” or “blow money.” Fact of the matter was, that’s what he thought about all the time, not Grandma. Grandma couldn’t care less about the attention of other men, or money. She cared about Jesus, and what He wanted from her.
She told me a story about how one Sunday morning as she was getting ready for church, Grandpa said, “I’ll kill you before you go to church!” He went in the other room, got a gun, came back and pointed it at her. She told me that she prayed to God, “I’m ready if you want me to come home. I don’t want to go, but I’m ready.” Grandpa lowered the gun, and said, “I’m not gonna kill you today, but I’m gonna kill you tomorrow.” Grandma said she didn’t come home that day, instead she stayed at a friend’s house.
IF YOU ONLY KNEW THE NIGHTMARE THAT MY GRANDPA WAS, AND WHAT MY GRANDMA PUT UP WITH, IT WOULD BAFFLE YOUR MIND! HER COMMITMENT TO HER WEDDING VOWS, TO GOD, AND TO HIM, IS MIND-BLOWING!
I’ve asked her many times, “Why didn’t you just leave him?” She said she planned on it quite often, and then one night she had a dream that Grandpa died and went to hell. After that, she completely removed the word “divorce” from her mind. She said she knew that God wanted her to stay, and that He had a greater purpose for her pain.
Had she left, you would not be reading this right now.
Instead of leaving, she used his hate for good. She committed herself to loving someone who was unlovable, just like Jesus does. Grandpa’s loathing of my grandma made her know God better, and deeper. And now, that’s been passed on to later generations. She didn’t run from the devil, she fought him head on, and she has a legacy for it.
So as Grandma swept the kitchen floor, late that night in the 1960s, praying for Grandpa (no telling what he was out doing, probably at a bar), and her kids, an angel appeared before her.
The story I’ve heard a hundred times is, “I looked up–it was the brightest thing I’ve ever seen! It was transparent and covered the entire wall! It was beautiful!” Frightened, Grandma gasped out loud, “No Lord, not now!” thinking, in her own words, “The angel had come to take me home”—and just like that—it disappeared.
Now if you ask her about this event, she’ll tell you that she knows the angel had a message for her. She’ll say that she wishes she didn’t respond how she did, because she wanted to know what it had to say…she’ll find out when she gets to heaven. I’m very curious as well.
So today, my friends, know this: Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8). My grandma has a pure heart, as do all believers in Christ, but because of just how deep her dependency on Him ran, she got to see an actual angel. I don’t know anyone who has a deeper relationship with God, than Granny Mac. She never gave up on what He wanted her to do–she loved Him and her family too much. She allowed Christ to live through her on such a grand scale, that her pain was rewarded with a view of heaven while still here on earth. She is an inspiration to me. I want to see angels too, don’t you?
A prayer for you: God, I know there are people reading this who are on the brink of giving up on a relationship that you’ve brought together–IT’S HARD ON THEM. We know that a strand of three is not easily broken, and that every relationship needs Jesus to be strong. You match people up all the time with extremely opposite characteristics so they have to look to you for help. I’m asking that you teach us how to love others, even to the point of a Christ-like sacrificial state. But at the same time, give us the strength to stand up to unacceptable behavior FEARLESSLY, with love, truth, and peace. I know this is possible. Thank you for your Holy Spirit and for placing angels all around us! We love you so much! In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
This devotional is from my bestselling book, 60 Days for Jesus, Volume 1. Get your copy here!