Angels All Around Us: Introducing children to the angels of the Bible

by Maggie Geene

We are surrounded by angels lately. Some of the images are far from religious such as "Angels in the Outfield". Would you like to introduce more religious examples of angels to your children?

There are many great stories of angels in the bible. Angels are messengers of God's love, and were sent to people in biblical times to take away their fear and to announce great happenings. Here are three great stories from the bible, and one all purpose great angel hero that you can use to show your children the true purpose of angels. .

In the Books of Exodus and Numbers in the Old testament we find the story of how God sent an angel to lead the Israelites out of captivity in Egypt to the land He had promised them. God tells Moses that the Israelites should do as the angel says and they will be safe. They don't always follow the angel's bidding, and really get off course. This is a great story to show your children how following the will of God in everything is important because God does know better than we do.

In the story of Tobias in the book of Tobit in the Old Testament, We are introduced to Rafael as Tobias' guardian angel, sent by God to help him stay on the right path. This story can lead to a discussion of our personal guardian angels, who are there to look out for us. It is reassuring for children to know that there is someone always watching over them.

One of my favorite stories is the birth of Jesus narrative which is filled with accounts of angels. The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary. An angel appeared to Joseph in his dreams. Angels appeared to the shepherds telling them not only that they had nothing to fear, but of the great and glorious happenings of that day. And, the angels sang.

Angels also appear to Jesus at times of great trouble. After the temptation in the desert we are told that angels came to minister to him. So too, in the garden at Gesthemene, angels came to wipe his brow. This can lead to a discussion of how God never leaves us alone, and when we are very troubled, there are angels around us to help us bear the suffering.

And of course there is the Ultimate Warrior: Michael the Archangel. Often depicted as standing in armor over the defeated Lucifer. This image rivals any superhero from a comic book or Saturday morning cartoon. And who better to have your young boys idolize than this defender of us all from the snares of the devil?

Describing how angels look is a difficult decision. Are angels truly the winged creatures that appear in so many wonderful art masterpieces? Or do angles look much more human, like Monica and Tess from "Touched by an Angel"? I tend to think that this is best left to the imagination of the child. Besides, if a child can think of angels as looking like people it isn't that hard for them to begin to see people who help in times of need and come to bring us good news as angels.

Give your children a vibrant relationship with angels, those amazing messengers of God's love. Encourage them to call upon their guardian angel for strength and comfort. My daughter, talks to her guardian angel on a regular basis, and I like that she does. In fact, I encourage it.

Return to Articles Page.