An Angel Heard on High

Prompt: Set your story on a remote island, a distant planet, or somewhere faraway and forgotten.

An Angel Heard on High

Once upon a cloud where time doesn’t matter, there is a heavenly place faraway where I live or perhaps more accurately exist. I float among the billowy clouds without concern for the rise or the setting of the sun. I move among them because I have been gifted with wings. I am an angel. My name is Angelo. I am akin to Michael, Gabriel and the other angels who praise the Lord Almighty saying:

“They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!” (Isaiah 6:3 NLT)

The Lord created me from particles adrift in the heavenly realm bound together with love, joy and the Light of Life. I am one of the countless creatures that hover in the atmosphere keeping an eye on human beings living on the earth. I am tasked with the responsibility of caring for individuals who call on the name of the Lord seeking help. Upon hearing their cries for mercy, the Lord instructs me to the persons and places I need to go. Depending on the situation, I may make myself visible. Normally I remain invisible because the intention of my good work is for the person to direct their gratitude to the Lord Almighty and not to me.

I serve the Lord by attending to believers only. Why just believers? Because non-believers would not see an angel even if it appeared in front of them. Many claim they have seen them, but I know that is not the truth. I know this well because I tested skeptics, agnostics, atheists and even some people who claim to be followers of the Almighty but do not live their lives accordingly. Believers in the Lord Almighty have their hearts open to His intervention in their lives. Hope in the Lord is what fuels me to seek people who are in dire need of my intercession. Actually, my power comes from the Lord Almighty, the Creator of the world when I enact those miraculous actions. Without it I am no more than a very large talking butterfly with wings.

For it is written: “Therefore, angels are only servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation.” (Hebrews 1:14 NLT)

I know too, “If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.”

(Psalms 91:9-12 NLT)

For instance, do you remember Noah’s ark? I assisted Noah gathering the animals two by two, especially those pesky spiders, ticks and mosquitos. I helped David look for the perfect stones to help him slay the menacing giant called Goliath. I unlocked Peter from his cell after his wrongful imprisonment.

“Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, “Quick! Get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists.” (Acts 12:7, NLT)

Presently I am murmuring encouragement to Mildred after her husband of forty-five years passed from a sudden illness. But my most memorable times are when I spend with the children whispering in their ears the hope and splendor of their King and Lord. Their reactions are so amazing and so touching. If angels could cry, my wings would be wet from all my sobbing.

I was faithfully honoring the Lord Almighty fulfilling the needs of His people on earth when my routine was interrupted. In a twinkling of an eye the worst event could possibly have happened. I witnessed a rebellion in the upper heavens, far above the clouds. The sight of this devastated me. Thankfully the Lord Almighty quelled the rebellion. Nonetheless, there were casualties and consequences to those who dared to challenge the authority of the Lord Almighty.

“And I remind you of the angels who did not stay within the limits of authority God gave them but left the place where they belonged. God has kept them securely chained in prisons of darkness, waiting for the great day of judgment. (Jude 1:6 NLT)

“For God did not spare even the angels who sinned. He threw them into hell, in gloomy pits of darkness, where they are being held until the day of judgment.” (2 Peter 2:4 NLT)

Eyewitnesses verified the fate of the leader of the rebellion, Lucifer, the Morning Star, being tossed from the heavenly realm.

“How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world.” (Isaiah 14:12 NLT)

Somehow the seed of uncertainty was planted within me when I became exposed to Lucifer’s minions. They followed me while I was helping humans in their hour of need. Their viruses of discontent and mistrust of the Lord Almighty had morphed their angelic bodies into wretched creatures. They were spewing lies and hate among His earthly kingdom. Unfortunately, I was caught in the crossfire of their malicious behavior and wretched accusations. Their venom of pure evil spilled over onto me. I began questioning myself. Their sinister indictments about me created the worst feeling inside me; the feeling that the Lord Almighty has forsaken me.

So, I questioned myself. Do I always feel that I am doing His will? Did I fail to heed His authority? Have I been unfaithful to the Lord Almighty in thought, word and deed? Had I been disobedient to Him? My wings are fluttering because I am feeling anxious. The seeds of doubt from the Evil One and his demons were festering inside of me.

Their continued harassment struck even deeper terror inside me. My self-doubt was overpowering my commitment to the Lord Almighty. I needed to run, but where? The Lord Almighty is all knowing and all seeing. I jumped from cloud to cloud. My dread was growing inside me. I had never felt this way. There was no place on earth that I felt safe, especially now that Lucifer had been cast down there. He is recruiting many of the other angels to take up allegiance with him. Another flood of negative emotions overwhelms me. I did not want to become one of them who despised the Lord Almighty.

I feel guilt, shame and worthlessness. Who would defend me against his lies?

His behavior haunts me: “For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44 NLT).

I knew I would have to confront his lies even though I had done nothing wrong. Even the human Job knew he was sinless before the Lord despite the evil accusations of his wife and close friends. So how could it be any different with me? I really believe I had done nothing wrong. Lucifer was getting what he seeks all the time: guilt, self-doubt, fear, sadness, despair and hopelessness.

I was about to give up when I reminded myself who really is in control. He gave angels free will to accept Him or not. Lucifer chose not to follow the Lord Almighty. I, on the other hand, choose to love, serve and obey Him. Not because of anything I had done but because of His Son, Jesus whose death and resurrection restores my life. His actions forgive any of my failures and sins.

“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.” (Hebrews 2:9 NKJV)

“We also know that the Son did not (just) come to help angels; he came to help the descendants of Abraham. Therefore, it was necessary for Him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that He could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then ‘He could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. Since He Himself has gone through suffering and testing, He is able to help us when we are being tested.” (Hebrews 2:16-18 NLT)

With this knowledge and belief in Jesus, I would be protected by the Lord Almighty. I know of the power of the risen Christ, especially as one of His angels who minsters His people on earth. But most importantly, I know this because I was also there at the empty tomb when His disciples went to look for His body.

“Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it.” (Matthew 28:2, NLT)

I know there is nothing I have to do but trust in the saving power of the Lord Almighty!

You may never be aware of it, but one day an angel could minister to you in your hour of need with the hope of the resurrection power to forgive your sins, through God’s only Son, Jesus Christ!

-END-

Author: Peter Gautchier

NLT=New Living Translation (Tyndale Publishing)

Acknowledgement: Reedsy.com Prompts