Encouragement and Boldness from Angels

And there came an angel of the Lord, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour. And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites. (Judges 6:11-13)

Gideon was a man called and anointed by God to do great things. However, when we first meet him in the book of Judges, he is threshing wheat in a winepress while hiding from the Midianites, who were oppressing Israel. In case you’ve never threshed wheat, let me tell you a winepress is not the place to do it. Gideon’s existence was submerged in fear because the Midianites were savage and cruel.

One day, an angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon under an oak tree near his “threshing floor” winepress. The angel greeted Gideon as God saw him, addressing the man hiding in a winepress, as a mighty man of valour. He also reminded him that God was with him. Those words must have encouraged him, but Gideon asked, “If God is for us, then why do we have all these problems?” Notice the angel didn’t answer that question. Instead, he told Gideon about what God wanted him to do to lead his nation to freedom from the evil Midianites.

This encounter with the angel served as a pivotal moment for Gideon. Empowered by the angel's words and the assurance that God was with him, Gideon led a remarkable victory against the Midianites with only a small army of 300.

Just as the angel strengthened Gideon through encouragement and reminders of what God said, angels will inspire and guide believers today if we will listen and receive.

Practical Application

How are you at receiving encouragement? Some people feel uncomfortable when people encourage them because they have an improper perspective of who they are in Christ. Learn how to take compliments and receive encouragement from anyone, even a stranger. Who knows? That might be an angel sent to encourage you.

Revelation 12:9; Acts 12:23

Faithful in the Flames

Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flames of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire. (Daniel 3:22-26)

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow to the image of the king that was set before them and, because of this defiance, were thrown into a fiery furnace. The king's command was so urgent and the furnace so exceedingly hot that the flames killed the men who threw the three Hebrew boys into the fire.

By all natural reasoning, these men of faith should have been turned to ash before their bodies hit the floor. However, something extraordinary happened when they entered the furnace. When the king looked into the furnace, he saw not three, but four men walking around freely, unharmed by the flames. He recognized Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, but not the fourth man. His form was like the Son of God. Even in the fiery trial, God's angel was with them, shielding them from harm.

We see a very similar story in the life of Daniel in the lion's den. God sent an angel to protect him. So, regardless of what the world throws you into, whether it is a fiery furnace, a problematic predicament or a seemingly impossible task, you are never alone. God is with you, and He will send angels to support you and lift you up.

Practical Application

Life is full of fiery moments. Remember that the Lord is always with you and His angels do His bidding. Today, as you are reminded of this revelation, take time to say out loud with confidence, “The Lord is on my side”.

Exodus 14:19; Romans 8:31

Refuse Fear and See and Speak in Faith

Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a bank against it. By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the Lord. For I will defend this city, to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake. And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. (2 Kings 19:32-35)

Allow me to set the stage for 2 Kings 19:32-35.  185,000 tough Syrian soldiers threatened to attack Jerusalem and overwhelm it. But in the midst of the enemy’s plan, the Lord made a promise. He said the king of Assyria would not even come near the city, let alone conquer it. God declared that He Himself would defend Jerusalem for His own sake and for the sake of His servant, David.

God always comes through on His Word, even when the enemy stands at your door yelling threats. The Assyrians sent messengers shouting intimidating warnings to the people of Jerusalem. They told God’s people that no “god” saved the other nations they invaded. What chance did they have? King Hezekiah told his people not to reply.

They kept their mouths shut while Hezekiah prayed and sought the insight of the prophet Isaiah. It looked like Jerusalem would fall, but the Lord sent an angel to the camp of the Assyrians during the night.

The next morning, 185,000 Assyrian soldiers lay dead, strewn all over the ground. How did all those armed warriors die? One angel killed them all. So, we shouldn’t be concerned about the attacks of the enemy. We should trust fully in the Lord's protection, even in the face of overwhelming opposition.

Speak His Word, declare His promises, and walk in confidence that God’s got you! God defended Jerusalem against the Assyrians with His angel of protection. God is more than capable of defeating any enemy or obstacle that stands in your way.

Practical Application

Fear is a tactic from the enemy to get you to forget who you are and what God’s promises are. When the enemy talks, don’t listen to him!

2 Chronicles 32:21; Psalm 35:5