The Ministry of Angels

And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that hemay see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. 2 Kings 6:17. How few contemplate the unseen agencies. Men are acting their part either for God or for Satan, the Prince of light, or the prince of darkness. All heaven is intensely interested in human beings who seem tobe so full of activity, and yet have no thought for the unseen. Theirthoughts are not on the Word of God and its instruction. If they would appropriate the Word of God, they would be astonished that there areagencies, good and evil, observing every word and deed. They are in every assembly for business transactions, in councils, and in meetings for the worship of God. There are more listeners in these public assemblies than can be seen with the natural sight, and every man hashis work to do. Those unseen agencies are co-laborers with God or withSatan, and they work more mightily and more constantly than do men.Sometimes the heavenly intelligences draw aside the curtain that hidesthe unseen world, that we may have our minds withdrawn from the hurryand rush, and consider that there are witnesses to all we do and saywhen we [are] engaged in business, or when we think ourselves alone. The Lord would have our perceptions keen to understand that these mightyones who visit our world have borne an active part in all the work whichwe have called our own. These heavenly beings are ministering angels,and they frequently disguise themselves in the form of human beings. Asstrangers they converse with those who are engaged in the work of God. In lonely places they have been the companions of the traveler in peril. In tempest-tossed ships angels in human form have spoken words ofencouragement to allay fear and inspire hope in the hour of danger, and the passengers have thought that it was one of their number to whom theyhad never before spoken.Many, under different circumstances, have listened to the voices of theinhabitants of other worlds. They have come to act a part in this life. They have spoken in assemblies, and opened before assemblies humanhistories, and have done works which it was impossible for humanagencies to do. Time and again have they been the generals of armies. They have been sent forth to cleanse away pestilence. They have eaten atthe humble board of families. Often they have appeared as wearytravelers in need of shelter for the night. We need to understand better than we do the work of these angelvisitants. From Devotional: Our Father Cares, p. 258.