We have a fine, godly pastor at our church. Of necessity, he is bi-vocational. As you can imagine, that means he works very hard, indeed. How he accomplishes all he does, I don’t know. But I do know it is not by cutting corners – in either business or sermon preparation.
A few months ago he mentioned something I have thought about again and again. Let me share it with you as a wondrous thought to take into your new year:
I honestly don’t remember the text of Wayne’s sermon that day. But, as a sub-point, he referred to angels. He rather casually asked, “Have you thought about the power of these beings? When King Hezekiah was threatened by Sennacherib, one angel was powerful enough to kill 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. And God is surrounded by myriads upon myriads of them.”
Wow! What a wondrous historical episode this is! The angels’ power is, of course, God’s power, exercised on behalf of men through the means of these created beings. But what power is displayed here!
And, as Job says: (Job 26:14)
Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways
And how small a whisper do we hear of him!
But the thunder of his power, who can understand?
In other words, one angel who can effortlessly put 185,000 trained soldiers to death, times myriads and myriads of such angels is just a whisper of our God’s power.
This is the God in whom we place our trust as this troubled year of 2012 draws to its close. How I thank him that he will remain the same in 2013, and on to the end of my history, and of all history.
That is a beautiful and amazing thought!
It is, indeed!
Thanks for this, Barbara, that is truly a wonder…and triggers so many thoughts and questions…who is this great God that we serve, who condescends to the extreme in order to love us? He who has all the power in the universe never abuses that power, but in fact, empties Himself of it…one among many proofs of His utter goodness and trustworthiness. Let us cling to Him in 2013.
So well written, by the way!
Thanks, Tammy. Happy New year!
Thank you for this. I love that expression in Job – these are but the fringes of His ways, and how faint a whisper do we hear”… the song says, “I can only imagine”, but in actual fact we can’t. What an awesome God.
Yes!
Mom, that is truly amazing. I have never heard mention of that thought before. I know that in reading missionary stories, I hear of the presence and power of angels from time-to-time. Ministering in/against the darkness.