In Times of Distress

In Times of Distress

And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.
Mark 1:13
 
Angels take on various roles in Scripture. They bring messages from God, they comfort, they fight, they deliver, and more. But when it comes to individuals being ministered to by angels, a common theme seems to be times of distress or temptation. That was certainly the case, at least twice, in the life of Jesus—at the beginning of His ministry and near the end.

At the beginning of His ministry, the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the Judean wilderness where He was tempted by the devil after forty days of fasting. After such a trying experience “angels came and ministered to Him” (Matthew 4:11). Presumably, the Spirit was with Him during His wilderness sojourn, but angels helped lead Him out of the wilderness and back to strength. Again, near the end of His earthly ministry, when Jesus was agonizing in the Garden of Gethsemane over the cross that loomed in His future, “an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him” (Luke 22:43).

When you are weak, in distress, or undergoing temptation, God may well send an angel(s) to strengthen and deliver you.

The sons of Adam in distress fly to the shadow of Thy wing.
Isaac Watts