Are God’s Angels in Danger of being Grounded?

Authorities are grounding jetliners in Phoenix! Tuesday’s forecast calls for 120 degrees and the American Airlines Bombardier CRJ aircraft isn’t rated over 118 degrees.

Other planes can fly. But the CRJ is grounded.

We are so used to air travel it is hard for us to fathom it could be too hot for an airplane. Too snowy, perhaps.  Too much lightening, absolutely.

But too hot?

Today I was preparing a sermon about angels and it occurred to me I have never considered whether or not there are any circumstances under which God might ground His angels. I have seen movies where angels were being tested before they were given their wings (Clarence in “It’s a Wonderful Life”) or held accountable when they started to forget their calling (Dudley in “The Preacher’s Wife).  But I have never heard of an angel being grounded.

Except for…

Yea, you’ve probably already thought of it.

A lot of people believe Satan is a grounded angel. The plot goes something like this: Satan (Lucifer) used to be a good angel, an “archangel”, serving alongside Gabriel and Michael.  During a time when angels could choose their own way, he rebelled again God and was cast out of heaven.  Now, as he knows he is already defeated, Satan spends his time as God’s chief adversary, trying to lure others into his darkness (Isaiah 14:12-15 King James Version).

I’m not sure how this event limited Satan’s flight, but it certainly put him on a collision course with eternal fire.

But what about the other angels who serve God now? Are they prone to grounding?  Does heat impact their performance?

I don’t think so.

In Psalm 91:11 we are told the angels will guard us in “all of our ways.” Not just when our ways are easy.  Or so-so.  Or terrible.  “All of our ways.”

When Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown in a fiery furnace by king Nebuchadnezzar, not a hair on their head was singed. A fourth man appeared in the furnace with them and some have speculated that it might have been Jesus. Nebuchadnezzar believed it was an angel (Daniel 3:28).  If it was an angel, then we have our proof!

The angels that flew around the altar in Isaiah’s vision (Seraphs) seemed unaffected by the burning coals there. One of them even appeared before Isaiah with a burning coal in his hand! (Isaiah 6:6)

I think it is safe to say angels don’t have a performance rating. They aren’t impacted by heat, cold, or any extremes we experience on earth.

Which means there isn’t any valley we walk through they can’t enter. There is no fire we experience they can’t endure.

This is one reason we can say  God is with us in every situation, and He sends His ministering angels to care for us. (Hebrews 1:14).  Nothing prevents God from reaching us in our time of need.

The CRJs will begin flying again soon in Phoenix. But by the time they take off the angels will have performed a million tasks in the city, unhindered by the heat.

Is it hot where you are today?

Don’t worry.

The angels have already been cleared for take-off.