Angels

The above photograph was taken a few years ago while driving on the Alpine Loop Scenic Byway in Utah. The peak in this photo is Mt. Timpanogos, an imposing 11,752-foot mountain, the second highest in the Wasatch Range. But what really led me to quickly stop the car, get out, and set up my tripod and camera was the ethereal cloud momentarily hovering in the sky above the summit. To my eyes and mind, this cloud made me think of angels.

A long time before this photo was taken, I taught a Sunday School lesson about angels. In preparing for that lesson, I discovered some interesting information about these heavenly beings. For example, I did not know that angels are mentioned in more than half the books of the Bible. In my study, I noted many differences between angels and humans. I also found some other interesting attributes of angels:

They are to praise and worship God;
They are empowered by God to do his will;
They enjoy a close relationship with God;
They act as both messengers and representatives for God;
They help believers.

And it dawned upon me that the above characteristics should also be true for me – a regular, earthbound person desiring to honor and glorify the same God.