Midweek Morsel: Attended by Angels

11248586324_e55d800f60_z“At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert, and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.” Mark1:12-13

Did you know angels attended Jesus during his days in the desert? Scripture doesn’t tell us exactly how they attended him, but they were on duty.

The gospel of Matthew specifically mentions angels attending Jesus after Satan tempted him (at the end of a forty day fast), and here in Mark’s gospel we hear that wild animals were part of the scene. My NIV text note says that in Jesus’ day there were many more wild animals, including lions, in Palestine. I guess Satan wasn’t the only danger in the desert. Wild animals posed a threat—and I’m sure the elements did as well.

The Israelites also experienced angelic attendance during their desert days. In Exodus (23:20, 23; 32:34), we’re told that an angel went ahead of them, guiding and protecting them. I wonder if the angels who attended Jesus did the same for him. Perhaps they even ministered to other needs he had.

If God sent angels to attend Jesus and also the Israelites during their desert days, don’t you think he might send them to us as well in our times of need? When we are faced with temptations, dangers, dry and barren days, as well as need in extreme situations, will God leave us to struggle on our own? No, he will minister to us. And it might just be through angels.

“For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;” Psalm 91:11

*Have you ever felt that angels were attending you?

*Flickr photo by  www.carloscherer.eu, Creative Commons License

Comments

  1. I remember when Kelli was a child, sitting up to the dining room table on a stool. She started to fall off the stool, when she felt something touching her, helping to steady her
    on the stool. When she told Cheryl and I about her experience, we had no doubt that a
    guardian angel had kept her from falling off the stool.
    Kelli’s Dad ( Don Barker )

    • Hey Kelli’s Dad (haha!), I thought of that, too, when writing this post. She was very young, maybe only three or four years old, but she without a doubt felt someone catch her. A pretty special experience :)

  2. When I was very ill with cancer (in 2004) and unable to eat much at all due to chemo and radiation treatment issues, my husband took me to a large buffet to see if I could see something that I might eat or try to eat. While he was in line, I sat in a nearby area waiting to join him when our turn. A woman I had never seen before, came to sit beside me and started a conversation. She mentioned that she was there with her daughter who was in line also. She asked about me and heard part of my story. I’ll make this long story shorter, …I noticed that she had small hands with smooth slender fingers like my mother had and she was short and “plump”. She was very comforting and told me a story about how she had been touched by a “mysterious” happening and she believed it had been an angel. It was quite a long wait and I really enjoyed our visit and was sorry when she abruptly said.”oh, there is my daughter, I must go”. I watched her walk away and I could not see her meet with her daughter. Soon my husband came to help me go in to our seats. I wanted to show him the person who was so nice and lifted my spirits. We looked all around the dining area and “the woman” was nowhere to be seen. She had told me she was old and didn’t walk much, so I was certain she had to be there. She wasn’t. I have always believed that I was “touched by an angel”. Norma (Don’s Aunt)

    • Norma, what an amazing story — thanks so much for sharing it! When something inside tells us that we may have had an angelic visit, we probably have, right? Love how her appearance reminded you so much of your mom. God is so good to encourage us when we need it!

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