{Addendum_2} WHY YOUR HEART KEEPS BEATING - Divine Encounters with God's Sustaining Power

Jan 12
21 min read

Updated: Jan 23

Chapter 5: The Fire to Witness - Purpose in the Vision

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." — Acts 1:8 (NASB)

The vision changed me.

I wish I could explain it more eloquently, but that's the simple truth. Before December 23rd, 2023, I was one person. After December 23rd, 2023, I was someone else.

The change wasn't in my salvation status—I was saved before, and I'm saved now. The change wasn't in my theology—I believed in hell before, and I believe in hell now. The change was in my urgency, my passion, my compulsion to tell people about Jesus.

The vision lit a fire in me that burns hotter every day.

This chapter is about that fire—where it came from, why it won't go out, and what it has compelled me to do.

The Nature of Holy Fire

Throughout Scripture, fire is associated with God's presence, God's holiness, and God's power.

God appeared to Moses in a burning bush that was not consumed (Exodus 3:2). The fire represented God's presence—holy, powerful, eternal.

God led the Israelites through the wilderness with a pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:21). The fire represented His guidance and protection.

God descended on Mount Sinai in fire when He gave the Law to Moses (Exodus 19:18). The fire represented His holiness and the terror of His majesty.

Elijah called down fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice on Mount Carmel, proving that the Lord is God (1 Kings 18:38). The fire represented God's power and vindication.

The disciples on the Day of Pentecost saw tongues of fire resting on each of them when the Holy Spirit came (Acts 2:3). The fire represented the Spirit's empowerment for witness.

Hebrews 12:29 declares: "For our God is a consuming fire."

Fire purifies. Fire illuminates. Fire warms. Fire spreads.

And that's exactly what the fire from this vision has done in my life.

Purification — Burning Away the Dross

The first thing the fire did was purify me.

In the aftermath of the vision, the Lord corrected me about several areas of my life. He didn't condemn me—Romans 8:1 says there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus—but He did straighten me out.

There were attitudes I needed to change. Habits I needed to break. Priorities I needed to reorder. The vision served as a refining fire, burning away the impurities and leaving behind something more useful for God's purposes.

Malachi 3:2-3 describes God as a refiner's fire: "But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the LORD offerings in righteousness."

A refiner's fire doesn't destroy the metal—it purifies it. It burns away the impurities (the dross) and leaves behind pure gold or silver.

That's what the vision did for me. It burned away my complacency, my spiritual laziness, my tendency to procrastinate in obedience. What remained was a purified passion for God's glory and people's salvation.

Illumination — Seeing What Really Matters

The second thing the fire did was illuminate my understanding.

Before the vision, I understood intellectually that hell was real and that people without Jesus were lost. But after the vision, that knowledge moved from my head to my heart. It became vivid, urgent, undeniable.

I now see people differently. When I look at someone—in the grocery store, on the street, online—I don't just see their outward appearance or their social status. I see an eternal soul heading toward one of two destinations: heaven or hell.

2 Corinthians 4:18 says, "While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal."

The vision gave me spiritual eyes to see eternal realities. And once you see those realities, you can't unsee them.

Warmth — The Love of God for the Lost

The third thing the fire did was fill me with the warmth of God's love for lost people.

Some people preach about hell with a kind of gleeful judgment, as if they're happy that sinners are going to suffer. That's not the heart of God, and it's not the fire the vision gave me.

The fire I received is the fire of compassion. It's the same fire that burned in Jesus when He looked at the multitudes and felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9:36).

2 Peter 3:9 reveals God's heart: "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance."

God doesn't want anyone to go to hell. He sent His Son to die so that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

The fire in my soul isn't a fire of condemnation—it's a fire of love. I witness because I care. I warn because I don't want anyone to experience what I glimpsed in that vision.

Spreading — The Fire Can't Be Contained

The fourth characteristic of fire is that it spreads.

You can't light a fire and expect it to stay in one place. Fire, by its very nature, seeks to consume more fuel. It spreads to everything combustible around it.

That's what's happening with the fire from this vision. It started in me, but it's spreading to everyone I encounter.

I've witnessed to my family—and some of them have rededicated their lives to Christ.

I've witnessed to strangers—and some of them have prayed to receive Jesus.

I've witnessed online—and I've received messages from people thanking me for reminding them of eternity.

The fire is spreading. And I pray it never stops.

Acts 1:8 — The Promise of Power for Witness

Just before Jesus ascended to heaven, He gave His disciples a promise and a commission:

Notice the sequence:

Power — The Holy Spirit gives supernatural ability
Witness — The result of that power is bold testimony

The Greek word for "power" is dynamis, from which we get the word "dynamite." It's explosive, unstoppable, transformative power.

And the purpose of that power is witness—telling others what we have seen, heard, and experienced concerning Jesus.

That's exactly what happened to me. The vision wasn't just information—it was empowerment. It gave me a boldness I didn't have before, a passion I couldn't manufacture on my own, a compulsion I can't resist.

I Even Witnessed to My Cats

I know this sounds ridiculous, but it's true: After the vision, I witnessed to my cats.

I was so on fire, so full of the reality of eternity, that I looked at Pumpkin and my other cats and started telling them about Jesus. I know they don't understand human language. I know they can't receive the gospel like humans can. But the fire in me was so intense that I had to tell someone, anyone, even if it was my pets.

Looking back, I can laugh at myself. But in that moment, I was utterly serious. The fire was burning so hot that it overflowed into every area of my life.

Romans 1:14-16 captures this compulsion: "I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."

Paul felt an obligation, an eagerness, a lack of shame about the gospel. He couldn't help but preach it everywhere he went.

That's the fire the vision gave me.

The Personal Instructions I Won't Share

I mentioned earlier that after the vision, the Lord gave me specific instructions about what to do for Him. Some of those instructions were personal—between Him and me—and I won't reveal them in this book.

Why?

Because not everything God tells us is meant to be public. Some revelations are private. Some assignments are confidential. Some intimacies with God are sacred and should remain sacred.

Matthew 6:6 teaches: "But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you."

There's a place for public testimony—like this book. But there's also a place for private communion—like the secret instructions the Lord gave me.

I share this to encourage you: If God gives you personal instructions, you don't have to broadcast them to the world. It's okay to keep some things between you and Him.

What I will share is that those instructions have to do with my calling as a writer, my ministry of bearing fruit through the written word, and specific assignments God has given me to fulfill in the years ahead.

John 15:1-8 — Bearing Fruit Through Writing

Jesus said in John 15:5, "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing."

The purpose of a branch is to bear fruit. Not to admire itself, not to compete with other branches, but simply to remain connected to the vine and produce fruit.

I'm a writer by nature and by calling. Writing is how I bear fruit for God. I write what He says to write. You read it. The words take root in your heart. That's fruit.

This book is fruit. Every blog post I write is fruit. Every testimony I share is fruit.

And the vision was God's way of ensuring that I would continue bearing fruit—urgently, passionately, abundantly.

The Lord's Delight in Fruit-Bearing

After I finished writing my initial testimony about the vision, the Lord spoke to me again. He and the angels were very happy and enthusiastic. I could feel their joy.

The Lord said, "Got it? We keep your heart beating and your lungs breathing."

By "we," He meant the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and the angels—the entire Trinity working in concert with angelic messengers to sustain human life.

That statement became the title and the thesis of this book: God wants to show you why your heart keeps beating.

And the Lord's delight in my obedience—in my writing this testimony—confirmed that I was fulfilling my purpose.

Proverbs 12:14 says, "A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his words, and the deeds of a man's hands will return to him."

When we bear fruit for God, it brings satisfaction—not just to us, but to Him. God delights in our obedience. He rejoices when we use our gifts for His glory.

The Ongoing Fire

It's been months since the vision, and the fire hasn't diminished. If anything, it's grown stronger.

Every day, I wake up with the same urgency: Tell people about Jesus. Warn them about hell. Share the gospel. Write the message. Bear fruit.

I don't have to work up this passion. I don't have to manufacture this urgency. It's simply there, burning in my bones, driving me forward.

Philippians 2:13 explains this phenomenon: "For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure."

God is the One working in me. He's the One giving me the desire (to will) and the ability (to work) to fulfill His purposes. The fire isn't self-generated—it's Spirit-generated.

And as long as I stay connected to the Vine, the fire will keep burning.

The Challenge to You

I want to challenge you, the reader, with a question:

What fire is burning in your soul?

Every believer should have a fire—a passion, a calling, a burden that consumes them and drives them to action.

For some, it's a fire for evangelism. For others, it's a fire for teaching, for mercy ministry, for worship, for prayer, for justice.

What's your fire?

And if you don't have one, why not?

Has complacency quenched it? Has distraction diverted it? Has fear suppressed it?

1 Thessalonians 5:19 warns: "Do not quench the Spirit."

The Holy Spirit wants to ignite a fire in every believer. But we can quench that fire through disobedience, neglect, or compromise.

Don't let that happen.

If you've lost your fire, ask God to reignite it. If you've never had a fire, ask God to light one. If you have a fire but it's flickering, ask God to fan it into a blaze.

The world is dying and going to hell. We don't have time for lukewarm Christianity.

Revelation 3:15-16 records Jesus' rebuke to the church in Laodicea: "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth."

Jesus wants us hot—on fire for Him, passionate about His purposes, urgent about the souls of men and women.

The vision gave me that fire.

What will it take to give you that fire?

Reflection Questions:

On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the "fire" or passion you have for witnessing about Jesus? What would increase that passion?
Read Malachi 3:2-3. In what areas of your life do you sense God's refining fire purifying you right now?
Have you ever felt a compulsion to share the gospel so strong that you couldn't hold it in? If so, what triggered it?
What's one personal instruction God has given you that remains private between you and Him?
If you could bear fruit for God in any way, what would it be? What's stopping you from doing it?

Prayer:

Lord, light a fire in my soul that can't be quenched. Give me a passion for lost souls, an urgency about eternity, and a boldness to speak Your truth. Purify me with Your refining fire, burning away everything that hinders my fruitfulness. Open my eyes to see people as You see them—as eternal souls in desperate need of a Savior. And Lord, don't let me be lukewarm. Make me hot for You, consumed with Your purposes, driven by Your love. In Jesus' name, Amen.

PART TWO: MEETING THE GUARDIANS - ANGELS IN OUR MIDST

Chapter 6: About That Black Hand - The Revelation of Gabriel

"Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?" — Hebrews 1:14 (NASB)

One of the most shocking revelations that came after the vision was the identity of the black hand.

I had assumed—naturally—that it was a demon. After all, it was pulling me toward hell, spinning me in circles, dragging me down into darkness. What else could it be?

But the Lord corrected my assumption. He told me something I never would have guessed:

The black hand wasn't the devil. It was my guardian angel, Gabriel.

When I first heard this, I was confused. Why would an angel of God simulate the actions of a demon? Why would Gabriel grab my feet and spin me toward hell?

The answer revealed a profound truth about how God teaches: Sometimes He uses His servants to demonstrate the tactics of the enemy so that we can recognize them and resist them.

This chapter explores the shocking truth about that black hand and what it teaches us about angelic ministry.

The Devil Was Nowhere Near Me

After the vision, the Lord made something very clear: The devil was nowhere near me when this happened.

It wasn't Satan grabbing my feet. It wasn't a demon spinning me into the vortex. The enemy didn't have access to me in that moment.

Why?

Because Jesus and Gabriel were both in the room with me. And where the presence of God is manifest, the enemy cannot operate freely.

James 4:7 promises: "Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."

I was submitted to God. I was His child, covered by the blood of Jesus, indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The devil had no authority over me.

1 John 4:4 declares: "You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world."

The One in me (the Holy Spirit) is greater than the one in the world (Satan). That means the enemy cannot touch me without God's permission (see Job 1:12; 2:6).

So if it wasn't the devil, who was it?

Gabriel — My Guardian Archangel

The Lord revealed that the black hand belonged to Gabriel, one of the archangels, and specifically, my guardian angel.

This was the first time I fully understood that Gabriel had been assigned to me. I had seen him before—standing behind me, helping me, guarding me—but I hadn't known his identity until this moment.

Who is Gabriel?

In Scripture, Gabriel appears as a messenger of God, delivering important revelations:

Daniel 8:16 — Gabriel is sent to explain a vision to Daniel: "And I heard the voice of a man between the banks of Ulai, and he called out and said, 'Gabriel, give this man an understanding of the vision.'"
Daniel 9:21 — Gabriel appears again to Daniel: "While I was still speaking in prayer, then the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision previously, came to me in my extreme weariness about the time of the evening offering."
Luke 1:19 — Gabriel appears to Zechariah to announce the birth of John the Baptist: "The angel answered and said to him, 'I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.'"
Luke 1:26 — Gabriel appears to Mary to announce the birth of Jesus: "Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph."

Gabriel is a high-ranking angel, one who "stands in the presence of God" (Luke 1:19). He is a messenger, a revealer of mysteries, a bringer of good news.

And apparently, he is also my guardian.

Do We All Have Guardian Angels?

The concept of guardian angels is biblical, though not as explicitly detailed as some traditions suggest.

Matthew 18:10 — Jesus says, "See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven."

Notice: "their angels"—implying that individual believers (or at least children) have angels assigned to them.

Psalm 91:11-12 — "For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone."

This promise suggests angelic protection for those who dwell in the shelter of the Most High (Psalm 91:1).

Acts 12:15 — When Peter was miraculously freed from prison and showed up at the prayer meeting, the believers initially didn't believe it was him. They said, "It is his angel." This indicates that the early church believed individuals had angels associated with them.

Hebrews 1:14 — "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?"

Angels are sent to serve believers. This implies assignment, purpose, and ongoing ministry.

So yes, the biblical evidence suggests that believers have angels assigned to guard, guide, and minister to them.

And Gabriel is mine.

Why Gabriel Acted as the Devil Would

So why did Gabriel grab my feet and spin me toward hell?

Because God was teaching me through demonstration.

The Lord wanted me to understand how the devil takes souls to hell, what it feels like, and why it's terrifying. But He didn't want me to actually experience the full horror or be touched by actual demonic forces.

So He had Gabriel simulate the process.

Think of it like a military training exercise. Soldiers train for combat by simulating enemy tactics. They learn to recognize threats, respond to attacks, and defend themselves—all in a controlled environment where they're not in actual danger.

That's what happened in my vision. Gabriel simulated the enemy's tactics so I would understand them, but Jesus was there the entire time to ensure I didn't actually go to hell.

This demonstrates two important truths:

God is a teacher who uses creative methods. He doesn't just lecture us—He shows us, demonstrates to us, lets us experience (within safe limits) so we truly understand.
Angels serve God's purposes, even when it means playing a role that seems contradictory. Gabriel didn't enjoy dragging me toward hell, but he obeyed God's instruction to teach me this lesson.

Psalm 103:20-21 describes angels as obedient servants: "Bless the LORD, you His angels, mighty in strength, who perform His word, obeying the voice of His word! Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, you who serve Him, doing His will!"

Angels don't question God. They obey. And Gabriel obeyed when God said, "Show him what the descent to hell looks like."

How the Devil Takes Souls to Hell

Through the vision and Gabriel's demonstration, I learned specific details about how the devil operates when claiming a soul:

He grabs the feet — symbolizing that running from God creates an opening for the enemy.
He spins you in circles — disorienting you, removing you from your body, separating your spirit from the physical realm.
The spinning is superfast and mechanical — impersonal, relentless, efficient.
You descend lower and lower — moving away from the light and into darkness.
Your screaming is silenced as you disappear from this realm — once you cross fully into death, the living can no longer hear you.

This is what happens when someone dies without Christ. The enemy doesn't gently escort them—he seizes them and drags them to their eternal destination.

Luke 16:22-23 describes the deaths of Lazarus and the rich man: "Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment."

Notice the contrast:

Lazarus (righteous) was carried by angels to a place of comfort.
The rich man (unrighteous) simply died and found himself in torment.

Angels escort the righteous to paradise. But the wicked? They're left to the forces of darkness.

That's the reality Gabriel was showing me.

Why I Had Been Seeing a Black Angel

Before the vision of hell, I had seen a black angel several times. I didn't know who he was or why he was there, but I knew he was friendly—always helping me, always standing behind me, always doing something good.

Now I understand: That was Gabriel.

He appeared as a shadow, black like the absence of light, but with a form—about the size of a man, with two arms, two legs, a head, and distinct features. He looked somewhat like a sea creature, with appendages protruding from his head and hands.

I saw him most clearly in my bathroom a few days before the vision, standing about ten feet behind me. And that's when he healed my heart (an event I'll describe in detail in Chapter 11).

I also saw him in my peripheral vision at other times—always behind me, always guarding me, always present but not intrusive.

Why do angels appear as shadows?

I believe it's because they exist in the spiritual realm, and when we perceive them with our physical eyes (or spiritual eyes opened by God), we see them as they interface with our dimension—like shadows cast by a light source we can't directly see.

Job 4:15-16 describes an encounter with a spirit: "Then a spirit passed by my face; the hair of my flesh bristled up. It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance; a form was before my eyes; there was silence, then I heard a voice."

Spirits have form, but their appearance is hard to discern. They're not fully material, but they're not invisible either. They exist in a liminal space between seen and unseen.

The Nature of Spiritual Beings

Angels, demons, and human spirits are all spiritual beings, and they share certain characteristics:

They are like heat or energy — you can feel their presence even if you can't see them.
They appear as shadows or heat waves when perceived visually.
They can interact with the physical world but are not bound by its laws.

Psalm 104:4 says of God's angels: "He makes the winds His messengers, flaming fire His ministers." (NASB)

The Hebrew word translated "ministers" can also mean "servants" or "angels." Some translations render this as "He makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire" (Hebrews 1:7 quotes this passage with that interpretation).

Angels are like fire—energetic, powerful, capable of manifesting as heat and light.

That's why when the Holy Spirit touched me in 1994, it felt like an electrical shock and a hot wind. That's why Gabriel's touch on my heart felt like a surge of heat and energy. That's why encounters with spiritual beings often leave physical marks like heat burns.

Spiritual beings are fire-like in nature—they are energy, heat, and power manifested in ways our physical senses can barely comprehend.

Gabriel's Assignment

Gabriel has been assigned to guard me, to minister to me, to carry out God's instructions concerning my life.

I didn't know this until after the vision, but looking back, I can see his fingerprints all over my life:

Times when I narrowly avoided accidents
Moments when I felt an inexplicable presence keeping me safe
Instances when my health was miraculously restored
Situations where doors opened or closed at just the right time

All of this was Gabriel, working behind the scenes, carrying out God's will for my life.

Psalm 34:7 declares: "The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them."

The word "encamps" suggests a military presence—a guard stationed for protection. That's exactly what Gabriel has been doing in my life.

The Demonstration of Hell

When Gabriel grabbed my feet and spun me toward hell, he wasn't acting as my enemy—he was acting as my teacher.

God wanted me to understand the mechanics of spiritual descent, the reality of what happens when someone dies without Christ, the urgency of the gospel. And Gabriel was the instrument God used to demonstrate that truth.

This might seem strange or even disturbing—why would God use an angel to simulate evil?—but it's actually consistent with how God sometimes works.

In the book of Job, God allowed Satan to test Job, but with strict limits (Job 1:12; 2:6). God used the enemy's attacks to refine Job's faith and demonstrate his righteousness.

In 1 Kings 22:19-23, God sent a lying spirit to deceive the prophets of Ahab so that Ahab would go into battle and be killed—this was God's judgment on a wicked king.

In 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12, God will send a deluding influence upon those who refuse to love the truth, so that they will believe what is false and be judged.

God is sovereign over all spiritual beings, including angels and demons. He can use them for His purposes, even when those purposes involve demonstrating darkness in order to draw people to light.

The Safety of the Demonstration

The key difference between my experience and an actual demonic attack is this: I was completely safe the entire time.

Jesus was there. Gabriel was there. I was surrounded by the presence and power of God.

Even though I was descending toward hell, even though I was spinning in the vortex, even though I was experiencing the terror of that descent, I was never in actual danger because God's hand was already positioned to stop it.

This is the same principle we see in Psalm 23:4: "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me."

The valley is real. The shadow of death is real. But the fear is removed because God is with us.

I walked through a demonstration of death and hell, but I didn't fear because Jesus was with me the entire time.

What This Teaches About Angelic Ministry

This experience taught me several important truths about how angels minister:

Angels are assigned to specific individuals — Gabriel is my guardian, which means there's a personal, ongoing relationship between us (even though I'm not always aware of his presence).
Angels carry out God's instructions, even unusual ones — Gabriel didn't question God's command to demonstrate the descent to hell; he simply obeyed.
Angels work behind the scenes — Most of the time, we're unaware of angelic activity. But they're constantly at work, guarding, guiding, and ministering.
Angels can appear in ways that seem frightening — A black hand grabbing your feet would normally be terrifying, but when it's an angel following God's orders, it's actually a demonstration of care.
Angels serve God's teaching purposes — They're not just bodyguards; they're also instructors, helping us understand spiritual realities.

The Relationship Between Angels and Believers

The Bible reveals a complex and beautiful relationship between angels and believers:

Angels worship alongside us — Hebrews 12:22-24 says that when we gather for worship, we join "myriads of angels" in the heavenly Jerusalem.

Angels observe us — 1 Corinthians 4:9 says we (apostles, but by extension all believers) have become "a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men."

Angels learn from the church — Ephesians 3:10 says that through the church, "the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places."

Angels desire to understand the gospel — 1 Peter 1:12 says that the things we've received through the gospel are things "into which angels long to look."

Angels do not accept worship — Revelation 22:8-9 records John trying to worship an angel, who immediately says, "Do not do that... worship God."

Angels are fellow servants — Revelation 19:10 says the angel told John, "I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus."

Angels are not gods. They are not objects of worship. They are fellow servants—created beings, like us, who serve the same God we serve.

But they are powerful allies in the spiritual battle we face.

Gabriel's Ongoing Ministry

Since learning Gabriel's identity, I've become more aware of his presence and ministry in my life.

I don't pray to Gabriel—that would be idolatry. I pray to God alone. But I'm grateful for Gabriel's service, and I acknowledge his presence when I sense him near.

Sometimes when I'm writing (like right now, as I write this book), I sense his presence behind me, encouraging me, helping me remember details, assisting in the work God has assigned me to do.

Other times, when I'm in a spiritually challenging situation, I sense him standing guard, ensuring that the enemy cannot interfere with God's purposes for my life.

Hebrews 1:14 says angels are "sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation."

That's Gabriel's job. And he does it faithfully.

The Lesson for You

You also have angels assigned to you.

You may not know their names. You may not be consciously aware of their presence. But they are there, ministering to you, guarding you, carrying out God's will in your life.

Don't worship them. Don't pray to them. Don't seek them out or try to conjure them.

But do acknowledge their existence and be grateful for their service.

When you narrowly avoid an accident, thank God—and recognize that an angel may have been involved.

When you feel an inexplicable peace in a dangerous situation, thank God—and understand that angelic presence may be the reason.

When doors open or close in ways that defy explanation, thank God—and consider that angels may be working behind the scenes.

Psalm 103:20-21 invites us to join in praising God for His angels: "Bless the LORD, you His angels, mighty in strength, who perform His word, obeying the voice of His word! Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, you who serve Him, doing His will!"

Angels are part of God's kingdom. They're on our side. They're working for our good and God's glory.

And one day, when we stand before the throne, we'll see them face to face and worship together with them for all eternity.

Reflection Questions:

Does knowing that angels are assigned to minister to you change how you view your daily life? How?
Have you ever had an experience that might have involved angelic intervention? What happened?
Why do you think God sometimes uses His angels to demonstrate spiritual truths in dramatic ways?
Read Hebrews 1:14. How does this verse shape your understanding of angelic ministry?
How can you avoid the extremes of either ignoring angels completely or becoming overly fascinated with them?

Prayer:

Father, thank You for assigning angels to minister to me. Thank You that I'm not alone in the spiritual battles I face. Thank You for Gabriel and all the angels who serve Your purposes in my life. Help me to remain focused on You, not on the angels, but to be grateful for their service. And Lord, give me eyes to see the spiritual realities around me—the battles being fought, the protection being provided, the ministry being rendered. May I live in awareness of Your kingdom and in gratitude for all the ways You care for me, seen and unseen. In Jesus' name, Amen.