Christa J. Kinde - Angels: A 90-Day Devotional about Gods Messengers

Also by Christa Kinde

The Threshold Series

The Blue Door (Book One)

The Hidden Deep (Book Two)

The Broken Window (Book Three)

The Garden Gate (Book Four)

Digital Short Stories

Angels All Around

Angels in Harmony

Angels on Guard

Serial Companion Stories

Rough and Tumble

Tried and True

Sage and Song

Angel on High

Angel Unaware

Pomeroy Family Legacy Books

Pursuing Prissie

ZONDERKIDZ

Angels: A 90-Day Devotional about Gods Messengers

Copyright 2015 by Christa Kinde

Requests for information should be addressed to:

Zonderkidz, 3900 Sparks Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546

ePub Edition September 2015: ISBN 978-0-310-74745-1

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked NIrV are from the Holy Bible, New International Readers Version, NIrV. Copyright 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are from the New King James Version. 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

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Cover design: Magnus Creative

Interior design: Denise Froehlich

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CONTENTS

All things were created in him. He created everything in heaven and on earth. He created everything that can be seen and everything that cant be seen. He created kings, powers, rulers and authorities. All things have been created by him and for him.

COLOSSIANS 1:16 (NI R V)

Y ou dont have to be a Christian to wonder about angels. They stir our curiosity and capture our imagination on universal levels. But unlike the supernatural beings of popular fiction, angels are real. Theyve been around since before the world began. And from time to time, God sends them our way.

Divine messengers.

Armed warriors.

Fiery spirits.

Guardian cherubim.

Angels are described in terms of light and lightning, gemstones and flames. Tales of their visits put a flutter in our hearts and a sense of awe in our souls. And why not? Their arrival has always been seen as a sign of God at work, a signal that life is about to take a dramatic turn.

Members of the heavenly host dazzled prophets in dreams, filled the air with the rush of many wings, charged into battle, and covered entire hillsides with fiery chariots. They spoke prophecies and promises. They heralded the birth of our King, and theyll accompany Him when He returns.

Ministering spirits.

Mighty ones.

Heavenly princes.

Winged seraphim.

The realm where these beings live is invisible to us. Most of the time, so are the angels themselves. So how do we know theyre real? How can we be sure theyre there? Is there proof? Simply put, we know angels are real because the Bible tells us about them. As Christians, we believe that the Scriptures are true, and I mean True with a capital T. Our Bible is Gods Word, so God is the one who tells us about His amazing servants.

Throughout this devotional, Ill show you all kinds of verses that talk about angels. Well hold Q&A sessions to help you sort fact from fiction. Well slip into the action with Bible encounters retoldPeters prison escape, Marys visit from Gabriel, Daniel in the lions den, Pauls harrowing shipwreck. For ninety days, well explore everything from big-picture stuff to little details. Interactive questions will keep things real and make them personal.

So lean in. Listen up. Look closer. Because there are angels all around.

CHRISTA KINDE

DAY 1
YE WHO SANG
A Bible Lesson

Where were you when I laid the earths foundation? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstonewhile the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?

JOB 38:47

N eat stanzas. Majestic chords. Multiple verses. Ive always loved riffling through the pages of hymn books. During my childhood, I learned so many hymns by heart. Their history interests me. The rhyming lines intrigue me. Songs are practical poetry and four-part harmony is bliss.

In a way, hymns are teaching songs. Their authors filled them with Scripture. Many lyrics are chock full of good Bible teaching. If you pay attention to the words as you sing them, youll learn something thats both old and new.

Christmas hymns are by far the most familiar. These carols play nonstop during the holiday season, and most folks know them well enough to hum along. But are they really listening? Consider the lyrics of Angels from the Realms of Glory.

Angels from the realms of glory

Wing your flight oer all the earth;

Ye who sang creations story

Now proclaim Messiahs birth.

The wording is a little old-fashioned, but thats no problem. I can sum it up for you. Angels from heaven appeared in the skies over Bethlehem, telling the good news. And this wasnt the first time. These angels first sang when God created everything. Then they sang for their creators birth.

How do we know angels were in the audience at the time of creation? God made it clear when He quizzed Job: Where were you when I laid the earths foundation? while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? (Job 38:47).

Ye who sang creations story refers to in the beginning, when stars sang and angels shouted for joy.

Dig a Little Deeper

Do you have a favorite Christmas song? What makes it special to you? Do a little research to find all the verses. Jot down your favorite phrases. Can you tie them to Bible verses?

Angels sang at the creation of the world. What does Luke 15:10 tell us about angels?

Learning from lyrics certainly isnt limited to hymns. Whats your current favorite Christian song? Which lines really speak to your heart? Why do they ring true?

DAY 2
IN THE LIONS DEN
Meeting an Angel

Daniel said to the king, O king, live forever! My God sent his angel and shut the lions mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O King, I have done no wrong before you.

DANIEL 6:2122 (NKJV)

D aniel rubbed an aching hip and leaned heavily against a rough stone wall. Under the circumstances, the guards had been quite respectful in how they lowered him, but the pit was deeper than their reach. His tumble into the lions den would leave bruises.

The darkness smelled strongly of musk, dung, and death. What little light filtered into the death trap wasnt enough to show Daniel how many executioners lay in wait. A guard with pitying eyes lifted his torch higher, then tossed it down.The wood hit stone with a sharp clack and a scattering of sparks that reflected in several sets of eyes.

Use it, called the guard. Itll hold them off for a little while.