The Weary World Rejoices: A 2020 Advent DevotionalSample

Day 5: Angels

Angels are terrifying. It’s not hard to imagine since the first words angels say to humans are usually: “Don’t be afraid” (Lk. 1:13, 30; 2:10, etc.). 

We know little for sure about angels apart from the fact that they’re spiritual beings. They seem to serve a variety of roles, from warriors to guardians to heralds used by God to deliver His messages. 

They’re messengers in the Christmas story. 

An angel appeared to Zechariah. And then a named angel, Gabriel, appeared to Mary to tell her that she would give birth to God’s son. An angel then appeared to Joseph in a dream to let him know about this news, too.

The next time an angel appeared in this story, it was to shepherds in a field. We spent time talking about shepherds and how we can learn from their example, but what about the angels? What do they have to teach us about joy in the midst of uncertainty?

The angels were joyful because they had an advantage: they knew the king arriving that night and the hope He would bring mankind. They knew what the weary world did not know yet—hope was coming. This was a pivotal moment in human history and this group of angels came together to declare the best news the shepherds would ever hear.

The “vast host” was a large number of the Lord’s spiritual servants. You might even call it a heavenly community reflective of the community of believers who will one day be praising God before his throne together (Rev. 7:9).

The vast host of angels rejoiced together. The shepherds received that joy and spread it to others. Light was spreading, illuminating the darkness. In the midst of your own dark times, you might find that you can’t find words of joy and hope within yourself to lift to God. In those times, you can reach out to others in God’s community so they can encourage you by declaring His promises over you. 

Mary, Joseph and the shepherds couldn’t have known the roles they’d play in a story that’s foundational to our faith as Christians. But when nothing around them seemed to make sense, when the world felt weary and hopeless, they clung to the promises of God and trusted in His goodness. Then they shared about that goodness with others. And little by little, hope spread.

May that hope encourage you this Advent.

Questions for Reflection:

• What were you taught about angels growing up?
• Who are people you’ve reached out to in dark or uncertain times in your life? What was their response?
• Who is someone you can “declare God’s promises over” this week?

We hope this plan encouraged you! Everyone should be able to read and understand the story of Jesus’ birth in their language. But what if that’s not possible? Learn about Bible translation and how it's bringing hope to language communities around the world.