Thereupon Brendan arose, and his heart rejoiced at the answer of the angel. And he went to a place apart by himself, and scanned the ocean on every side of him…The angel of God came to converse with him once more, and said to him, “Henceforth,” said he, “I will be ever with thee…” Brendan wept for joy at the answer of the angel, and gave thanks to God.
– The Life of Brendan of Clonfert
Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?
– Hebrews 1.14
The promise of Presence
In the Old Testament, the Angel of the LORD is frequently associated with the LORD Himself. When the Angel speaks, it is the LORDWho speaks, as we see, for example, in Genesis 22.11, 12 and 15, 16. Is it possible that an angel came to Brendan and spoke with him? It is, certainly. It is not a common experience, or to be considered normative, as if we should seek it in the same way we seek the face of Jesus in prayer. But if it pleases God to send an angel to guide or accompany us, even though we may not recognize our companion as such (cf. Heb. 13.1), He can surely do so.
And the promise of accompaniment from beyond this world, as Brendan was about to undertake a very “this-world” task through strange and even dangerous places, would have been very comforting, indeed.
Or perhaps Brendan, off on his own to ponder the journey that lay before him, was simply remembering God’s promises, and especially the promise of Jesus, “And behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28.20), and the experience was so powerful that it was as if an angel spoke the Word of God to him, to give assurance to Brendan of divine accompaniment all his journey long. And Brendan wept with joy, knowing that he would never be alone.
The ministry of angels
We must not dismiss nor take lightly the powerful role angels can play in our own walk with and work for the Lord. Angels are sent by God to minister to us who are the heirs of salvation. They have power from God to serve us, and they do, in ways of which we are seldom aware.
The book of Acts gives us some glimpses of this, how angels help the saints as messengers, encouragers, strengtheners, and even in exercising power over physical things. The Book of Revelation offers additional insights, including how angels minster to us with the Word of God and the Gospel.
We are like people who exist in a kind of spiritual coma where unseen realities are concerned. All day and all night angels attend to us, guarding, reminding, caring, directing, and providing. We, trapped in a materialistic stupor, are completely unaware, and therefore entirely ungrateful to God for their aid.
One day we shall awaken from this spiritual coma into the fullness of the new day. Then we will see what Elisha saw—and what Brendan may have seen—and then, filled with wonder, gratitude, joy, and perhaps a tinge of shame, we will bless our God for these spirit friends, and enter more fully into the life of worship and service which they know continuously, and in which they rejoice with great strength.
Irish historiography requires a little interpretation to separate the truly historical from the fantastic and merely embellishing. In this vignette from Brendan’s life, we could see an example of a believable blend of history and myth, or we could simply see a true historical account. Either way, the effect on Brendan was profound and instilled him with a measure of courage that most of us will never know.
But which we could know if we were more mindful of the promises of Immanuel Jesus, and if we understood and believed the Word of God concerning the ministry of angels.
For Reflection
1. What has been your understanding of the role of angels in the lives of God’s people?
2. What has been your experience of angels?
Psalm 91.11-13
(Lauda Anima: Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven)
He shall give His angels charge to
bear us up, lest we should fall;
they will guard and carry all who
on the Savior’s mercy call.
Cobra, mighty lion, serpent:
We shall tread upon them all!
T. M. Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest this week: Our Read Moore podcast takes up the book Understanding the Times to help us in knowing how to live and proclaim the Kingdom. Our ReVision series, “The Kingdom Economy”, continues to unpack the secrets of the Kingdom. And new in our bookstore, our book, The Ongoing Work of Christ shows us how the book of Acts provides a template and footprint for all who take up the work of building Jesus’ Church.
And please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe with your prayers and gifts. You can contribute online, via PayPal or Anedot, or by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.
Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
