The Job Descripition

So, what in the world do angels do?  I have often wondered what an angel does that cannot be accomplished by God at work through the Holy Spirit?  Maybe that is just my issue and it concerns no one else.  Of course as is often said in these parts, "there is more than one way to skin a cat."  Just maybe God has many ways of getting His stuff done.  Angels may just be another tool that God has to use to accomplish His work in our lives.

 

As I ask myself, "What in the world do angels do?" I find myself going to a job description offered by the angel Gabriel as he was moving about during those busy days of announcing that God was about to do something new in the world.  When he introduced himself to Zechariah, the soon-to-be father of John the Baptist, he said, "I am Gabriel.  I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news."  (Luke 1:19)  The first thing heard in those words is that angels are individuals who are known by God.  Furthermore, an angel has a unique and very personal relationship with God in the heavenly place.  They are sent from heaven into the earthly realm to do the bidding of God and to speak for Him.  And finally, as we hear what Gabriel says, we come to the conclusion that their coming is a good thing.

It is no wonder that Gabriel told Zechariah and Mary that they need not be afraid.  While being in the presence of an angel may have been a startling and unexpected event, there was no reason for either of them to be afraid. Angels are interested in the good of those to whom they are sent.  What they impart as a part of their service and ministry is assistance in bringing the plan of God to fruition in our lives.  Obviously, they do not come to call attention to themselves, but to what God is seeking to do in our midst.