And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. Luke 2:9

The shepherds didn’t ask to see the glory of God. They hadn’t done anything to earn the privilege. They certainly didn’t expect it. Yet, God’s favor punctuated their evening and brought an experience they would never forget. Nothing in their lifetimes would eclipse the night on the hillside when heaven opened. Do such miraculous moments still happen today? Sometimes. 

A pastor we knew well suffered an aortic rupture…. something you don’t usually come back from. While clinically dead on the table, he witnessed a battlefield. He saw evil forces and God’s angelic forces engage in a confrontation. When God brought the pastor back from death, he told everyone….. “If you could see what I saw, how outnumbered the enemy was, and how fearsome the angelic warriors were, you would never be afraid of anything ever again!”  I think of his testimony every time I battle fear. 

I know that most of us will not have a near-death encounter and come back to speak of it. But we still witness the glory of God. Sometimes there are angelic visitations. Sometimes Jesus will appear to someone in the night. He bears witness to Himself and brings the most unsuspecting convert to the kingdom. It’s happening all over the world. And what about the times when the heavens open and God’s Spirit brings illumination about a scripture we’ve never understood before! It is cataclysmic to our spirits, is it not? These comprise the ‘Bethel Moments’ that define life in profound ways.

 It is easy to separate the times of scripture from the times in which we live. Sadly, our skepticism can obscure the supernatural appearances of God’s glory. The supernatural is meant to punctuate my life with unforgettable moments. 

My trust in You does not depend on the miraculous, but every miraculous encounter changes me forever. Thank you for every single one! Amen