Psalm 103:20-21 (NKJV): Bless the Lord, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word, heeding the voice of His word. Bless the Lord, all you His hosts, you ministers of His, who do His pleasure.
The word 'angels' here in Hebrew is 'malak', meaning 'messengers', from a root word which means 'to despatch as a deputy'. In other words, they are created to despatch (bring) good tidings and good things from heaven to you! From the verses above, we also know that they are ministers (i.e. servants) of the Lord, 'who do His pleasure'.
Hebrews 1:14 says, 'Are they (the angels) not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for (i.e. serve) those who will inherit salvation?' Jesus Himself spoke about angels (see Mark 8:38, John 1:51). And in Matthew 18:10, He says, "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven." You know what this means? Never look down on any of these little ones, because they have their angels in the presence of the Lord, looking to the Lord for them!
And who are these 'little ones' here? In Matthew 18:3-4, Jesus has the answer, "Assuredly I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." He is talking about you and I! Those who will inherit salvation!
Now, I'm making sure everything I write about angels here does have Bible verses to back it up. You cannot write about angels merely by your own personal experience (or encounters) alone, as it can lead to error. But let's see what the Bible says about angels.
To begin with, there are about three hundred references to angels in the whole Bible, and this figure is more than enough to substantiate the existence of angels!
There are basically two categories of angels, namely 'the good angels' (who care about your welfare) and 'the fallen angels' (who are out to cause harm to you). These 'fallen angels' are led by none other than Lucifer, who was an archangel (i.e. angel of high rank) and leader of worship among the angelic hosts, but through pride and rebellion, he fell (see Isaiah 14:12-15).
You see, worship and pride cannot go together. To worship is to humble before the Lord, throwing oneself in total surrender to Him. Yes, even one's will and desire.
Let's continue with our studies on angels.
By the way, God forbid that we worship angels. Why? Because they are also created beings! Psalm 104:1-4 says, 'Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, You are very great; You are clothed with honor and majesty, who cover Yourself with light as with a garment, who stretch out the heavens like a curtain... Who makes (creates) His angels spirits, His ministers (servants) a flame of fire'.
The ministry (i.e. service) of angels are two-folds:
1. Worship (Revelation 4:8-11, Isaiah 6:1-3);
2. Work (Hebrews 1:14, Psalm 103:20-21).
To put it plainly, angels are worshipers, and angels work according to the Word of God!
Hebrews 12:22-24 says, 'But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all...' As you can see from these verses, when God's people gather together to worship the Lord, angels are there too!
Let's read Psalm 103:20 again. It says, 'Bless the Lord, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word, heeding the voice of His word'. See? Angels are created and meant to do God's word, and to heed the voice of His word! And the truth is you too can be the voice that speaks God's Word! In cross-reference, Proverbs 18:21 says, 'Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit'. See how important it is to watch what you speak? Speak God's Word over your life (and situation), and you will even attract angels to work for you!
Someone asked me recently, "How do you activate the work of angels around you?"
The answer is easy. Keep worshiping the Lord, and keep speaking (declaring aloud) the Word of God! And they will know how to respond accordingly. The Bible says so! You don't have to worry on behalf of them!
Another point about angels that's worthy of note is they 'excel in strength'! (see Psalm 103:20) Hallelujah! It means they are strong enough to 'bodyguard' you! Psalm 91:10-12 says, 'No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone'.
Read also the account in Acts 5:17-21, when an angel of the Lord came at night to open the prison doors and brought the apostles out. The angel even spoke to them and gave them instructions! People of God, the Lord can even open your eyes to see angels! In 2 Kings 6:15-17, when Israel was surrounded by a great number of the enemy's army, Elisha prayed that his servant would be able to see 'those who are with them are more than those who are with the enemy'. The Lord then opened the eyes of the young man, and then and there, he saw the mountain full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha! Israel went on to defeat the enemy with a great victory!
As I conclude this article, the truth is angels exist, and they are very much at work for you at the moment! Keep worshiping and keep declaring the Word of God over your life (and in every situation of yours), and they will do their part to clear the way for you!
The psalmist David wrote it so very aptly in Psalm 34:7, 'The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear the Lord, and delivers them'. The word 'encamp' here is a military word. It means 'to set up camp', or 'to establish a camp'. So, I can put it this way: 'The angel of the Lord 'set up camp' or 'establish a camp' all around those who fear the Lord, and delivers them'. See the words 'all around' here?
No wonder Elisha told his young servant in 2 Kings 6:16, "Do not fear (the enemy), for those who are with us are more than those who are with the enemy." Let it be so! In Jesus' marvelous name. Amen!
