The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and
majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him today and what came to my heart and mind in Hebrews 13:1-2,
"Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain
strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without
knowing it."
This wonderful snippet of Scripture captures our imagination and our
sense of enchanted interest and excitement. How is it there have been
believers who have provided hospitality for angels and didn't know it
at the time? Possibly they fed them and put them up for the night and
sent them on their way as those who shared in the early work of the
ministry.
Here we have an acknowledgment that certain messengers have come from
God himself and have made themselves available to be served by us
believers in acts of love. Just fascinating to contemplate, isn't it?
In so many different ways we are told that God injects himself in our
lives. Does it still happen today? Does God send angels, his
messengers to us and through us to accomplish what he desires? I am of
the persuasion he still does. I confess I don't have any inside
information on it but I know of no reason why it wouldn't be the case.
But there is something here in this passage I see that far surpasses
the intriguing possibility we might encounter angels in our lives from
time to time. It demonstrates a greater and mightier presence of God
in our lives and in the world than the chance we might have an
encounter with angels. That "something" is the exhortation to "keep on
loving each other as brothers."
The grounds for this exhortation to love one another as brothers lies
in the reality that we have been equipped by God himself to do so. In
the benediction/doxology at the end of this letter, later in this
chapter, the writer of Hebrews says, "May the God of peace… that great
Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his
will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus
Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." Hebrews 13:20-21.
This benediction, "May the God of peace… equip you with everything
good for doing his will" points to the reality that God does this in
our lives. He equips us. Sometimes we get the notion we can equip
ourselves, but the truth is that the Holy Spirit bears this fruit in
our lives as something he does as we come near him (see James 4:8).
Paul tells us in Galatians 5:22-23 that the Holy Spirit bears the
following qualities in our lives, "love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." This
is where our enablement comes from to love one another. He changes
cold hard hearts from within!
More astonishing and surprising than having an encounter with an angel
is having an encounter with a change that has taken place within us!
We often surprise ourselves and think (and probably more so of
ourselves than others – because we know ourselves so well) "now where
did that come from?!"
How wonderful and intriguing is that? If God be anything, he certainly
is wonderful and intriguing!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
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