King's News 26

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Guarded by angels

We read so much about angels in the Bible, but for lots of people they think it is all fairy tales and it’s only at Christmas that they think about those heavenly beings. Then they hear of the shepherds watching their sheep by night and suddenly an angel appearing to them, later joined by others bringing them good news of the Saviour’s birth, praising God and telling them not to be afraid!

In the book of Numbers (22:2) we read of Balak asking Balaam to come and curse the children of Israel, who were encamped all around him and he was afraid of them. When Balaam asked God what he should do, God told him not to go and do this thing because these people were already blessed. However, Balaam saddled his donkey and disobeyed God by setting out. Three times on the journey an angel of the Lord stood in his path but only the donkey saw the angel and stepped aside each time, making his master so angry he beat the donkey three times!

Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey and he asked his master what had he done wrong that he kept hitting him? It was at that moment that Balaam’s eyes were opened and he saw the angel for himself and realised that the donkey had spared him from certain death! It says he fell flat on his face before God, his eyes wide open to the visions God was giving him (Num 24.4)!

All through life’s journey God uses many ways of protecting us and often it’s only later when (like Balaam) God opens our eyes that we see and understand.

I myself have experienced this angel presence at different times. I remember the first time as a child playing hide and seek with my brother in an old miner’s cottage when the ceiling caved in just as we reached the wall in time, else we would have been crushed. Then another time being rescued unconscious from the sea after a near-drowning experience. Then again in a canoe riding down a swampy river in an Indian reserve in Florida when the canoe capsized and I was thrown into the water right next to an alligator hole. I was so pleased the occupant was not at home at the time!

It’s at times like these that one is conscious of a guardian angel especially when I remember another incident in my life. My husband had a motorbike and sidecar (as one had in those far-off days) and we were reaching a roundabout when the sidecar came away from the bike and I went careering to the side of the road while my husband went round the roundabout and realising, with horror, what had happened, came round again to where I was sitting shaking in the sidecar. He said to me, "Don’t tell anyone what has happened", and I never did, all those years, until now! Evidently the bike had suffered metal fatigue. Again we could have been killed but thank God He gave His angels charge over me, concerning me!

So join with me this Christmas as we sing the song of the angels, "Glory to God in the highest, Peace on earth, good will towards men".

Ruby

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