Dreaming of Angels
Angels, angels, and more angels; our Bibles are filled with angels. Go to Bible Gateway, type “angel” in the search engine, and see for yourself.
In the Christmas story, according to Matthew, an angel of the Lord appears to Joseph three times.
In the first appearance, Joseph is instructed to take Mary as his wife because “what is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.” (Matt. 1:20) The second appearance is a warning - “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt . . . for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” (Matt. 2:13) Finally, after Herod dies, an angel appears to Joseph a third time, saying, “take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.” (Matt. 2:20)
But I wonder how many know that all three angelic appearances to Joseph are described in exactly the same way - “an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream.” Talk about life-changing dreams!
The third candle of Advent is the angel candle. It’s the pink one. Sherri and I lit that candle, along with the first two, last night. We thanked God for the promise of Psalm 34:7 - “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.”
I do believe angels are watching over us, each of us, whether we realize it or not.
But back to Joseph and his dreams. I don’t doubt for a minute that Joseph’s dreams were powerful experiences. But they were dreams! And as dreams, they required a certain amount of faith and spiritual sensitivity on Joseph’s part.
God speaks to us in many ways. He speaks through other people, through circumstances and events in our lives, and in ways we often would not normally imagine. As I mentioned in a recent post, I’m going to start sharing some rock ’n roll devotionals with you. Yes, I know it’s only rock ’n roll, but I love it, love it, yes I do. And God has spoken to me through the medium of rock ’n roll music many times.
Of course, the Bible is the final and ultimate authority when it comes to recognizing the voice of God. God will never speak to us or direct us in a way that contradicts His written word. However, as Jesus often said to his listeners - “Let him who has ears hear.” And when the resurrected, ascended, and glorified Christ appeared to John on the island of Patmos, he makes it clear that sensitivity to the Holy Spirit is vital to hear the voice of our Lord - “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says.” (Rev. 2:7)
So, as you light and contemplate the meaning of the third candle in this Advent season, take time to ask the Spirit of God to open your eyes and ears to His work all around you. Hebrews 13:2 tells us that some have “shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” Who knows, maybe you will recognize one of those angels. He may even appear to you in a dream!
In Christ,
Dan
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