DAILY READING
REFLECTION
Angels All Around Us
by Judy Webb
Psalm 113
“Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord you his servants; praise the name of the Lord. Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.” (Psalm 113:1-3)
Let us designate these three verses as a morning prayer of praise, especially during Advent. I often struggle to pray first thing in the day, as I want to begin on a special note. Allowing praise to be the first step each morning accomplishes this for me. These words give me pause as I reflect on all the blessing God has provided, as well as remind me to give thanks for them. There was a season about five years ago when gratitude was difficult. I had to stop and examine my heart and change my thinking. I prayed for contentment, for daily joy and happiness and I soon recognized all that God had done for me, all that He had given me.
I am pondering all the various characters we encounter during Advent and rejoice in their role in this miraculous event. Mary - who accepted the words of the Angel and began to praise God for blessing her so. Joseph - who listened to the Angel and did what he was told. He took Mary to his side and protected her. Elizabeth - who helped Mary accept her new role as she shared what she knew about the child she herself was carrying. Zechariah - who first questioned, and then believed what the Angel told him. And of course, the shepherds - who saw the star and followed it after an Angel appeared to them.
“Praise the Lord.” (v. 9)
As we can see, Angels play a large part in this story. As Angel Gabriel said to Zechariah, “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) I believe angels still play an active role in our lives - if we believe in them or not.
PRAYER
Dear Lord,
Thank you for these Angels who care for us because You sent them. Help us recognize and appreciate their holy guidance and loving direction. I know that if not for a supernatural being intervening in my life, I would not be doing so well. Thank you again.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JUDY WEBB
I have been a member of UALC for 26 years and have been writing devotions for this site for about 17 of them. Writing is my passion. As retired staff I still love everything about UALC and its members including my small group.
Amen and amen!
Good word!