The Songs Tell the Story: An Advent DevotionalSýnishorn

Angels from the Realms of Glory

One day, I was at a stoplight, and my eyes were drawn to a man holding a cardboard sign. In moments like that, I always try to pray and ask God what to do.

That day, I just knew, in my head and heart, that I was supposed to give.

When I pulled up next to him and looked him in the eyes, they were the bluest eyes I’d ever seen. I gave him some money, and he smiled and said, “God bless you.”

I drove off, knowing God had blessed.

Hebrews 13:2 says, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”

I’m not certain I saw an angel that day, but one day in heaven, I’m going to ask!

I just know the moment was special. I still think about it today.

The story behind the song

The church seems to talk about angels more often during the Christmas season, which makes sense: angels played an important role in the Christmas story.

Scottish poet James Montgomery wanted us to consider the heralding angels when he wrote the well-known Christmas anthem “Angels from the Realms of Glory” in 1816. The carol wasn’t sung in churches until nearly a decade later, in 1825, after its inclusion in a collection of Montgomery’s works titled The Christian Psalmist.

One line from the song reads, “Yonder shines the infant light.” It’s impossible to imagine what it must have been like for the shepherds when, in the middle of the night, the sky was illuminated by the glory of the heavenly host.

Shepherds lit fires at night, hoping to scare away wolves. Shepherds had the stars and the moon that gave some light during the night. But they had never, in all their lives, seen light like they experienced when the “angels from the realms of glory” appeared.

What are angels doing today?

So, what are angels doing today?

Angels are messengers and ministers from God. But what do angels look like? How do we know if we’ve seen one?

I’ve been asked a lot of questions about angels, and there is one thing I am certain of: angels exist. Jesus spoke of angels and believed in angels. We should too.

Billy Graham’s book Angels is my favorite book on the subject. Someone asked Dr. Graham if angels were real. He said, “Yes, angels are real, just as real as you and I are. Although they are largely unseen by us, they exist in great numbers. The Bible speaks of ‘thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly’ (Hebrews 12:22 NIV). When Jesus' birth was announced to the shepherds outside Bethlehem, ‘a great company of the heavenly host appeared . . . praising God’ (Luke 2:13 NIV)."

God created angels in his realms of glory and uses them to serve him, speak for him, and bring him glory.

I pray God will send his angels to you this Christmas season.