Kingdom Drone

Drones are in the news. Have you seen one?

A couple of years ago my wife and I travelled to Chincoteague, Virginia to watch the famous Chincoteague ponies swim home. We stood patiently on the bank waiting for the arrival of the ponies. Then it appeared. A small drone hovered over the water in front of the gathered crowd and darted to the left and right before flying away.

Some people think drones are cool. Others point to the perilous situations they can create with commercial aircraft. While our society debates the value of drones, some companies are already profiting from their use. One thing is certain: drones aren’t going away any time soon.

Neither are angels.

That’s right. I’m going there. Don’t close the devotion yet, though. Hear me out. I am not suggesting the biblical record of angels indicates earlier visits from a technologically advanced alien culture. Although, there is that interesting scene in Isaiah 6:2: “Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.” And this one in Revelation 4:8: “Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings.”

Could it be?  Nah!  For one thing, there is no record of an angel crashing in the Bible. Given the number of shepherd boys with slings at the time, and the deadly accuracy of their aim, it is hard for me to believe one of them wouldn’t have brought down a drone.

So why am I teasing you with this subject? It seems to me, in a day when people are trying to figure out how to regulate drones, it is worth noting God has always used a winged force to care for our individual needs. He even had the foresight to put angels in another dimension so they wouldn’t interfere with air traffic!

When we give our lives to Jesus, God sustains us with angels. In Hebrews 1:14 we read, “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” I don’t believe this means only those who follow Jesus have angels watching out for them, but rather that all angels participate in the lives of believers. They provide comfort and deliverance as if God Himself was doing the work.

Which, in fact, He is! Through His angels, God can minister anywhere, anytime to anyone. While it is true He can also intervene by altering the course of natural processes, and with His own hand (Isaiah 59:16), angels are one of God’s principle means of providential care.

One of the most exciting suggested uses for drones is the delivery of life-saving supplies in inaccessible locations. Medicine and survival equipment can be air-lifted to stranded climbers and lifeguards can quickly dispatch floatation devices to swimmers in trouble. The possibilities are endless.

Well, not exactly. Only God is inherently endless, and His ability to meet our needs goes beyond anything human technology can provide.

“Give us time!” you say?  “We can eventually do it all!”

Hmmmmm… Paul says,  “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9)

And it never will.