Have you ever met someone in your life — no matter how briefly — that made a profound impact on you?
I remember skidding my car across the black ice and into a deep snowbank. A stranger rescued me and drove me home, where I was able to call a tow truck. I never saw him again.
Although my encounter wasn’t miraculous, I felt like he was an angel in disguise. He came right when I needed him, helped me when he didn’t have to, and went out of his way to take care of me.
I’ve enjoyed reading stories on social media of encounters with strangers that were more profound than mine. Even miraculous.
God often works through people or moments we don’t expect. Sometimes we realize later that God was with us all along. There are many examples in the Bible of such encounters. And lessons we can learn from them.
Abraham
Abraham welcomed three visitors, offering food and rest. He didn’t realize at first who they were. They brought the message that Sarah would have a son.
The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground. (Genesis 18:1–2, NIV)
Be kind and generous to strangers. God may use those moments to bless us or give a message.
Lot (Abraham’s nephew)
Lot welcomed two strangers into his home, offering food and shelter. He didn’t know they were angels sent to save him and his family from destruction.
The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. “My lords,” he said, “please turn aside to your servant’s house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning.” (Genesis 19:1–3, NIV)
Doing what’s right —such as protecting others — can be part of God’s rescue plan.
Gideon
Gideon was hiding when an angel came to him. At first, he thought it was just a man. He only realized it was an angel after giving an offering that was miraculously consumed by fire.
The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” (Judges 6:11–12, NIV)
God can speak to us or call us to something important — even when we feel weak or afraid.
Manoah and his wife (Samson’s parents)
Manoah and his wife met a “man of God” who told them they would have a special son. They only realized he was an angel when he rose up in a flame of fire.
Then Manoah prayed to the Lord: “Pardon your servant, Lord. I beg you to let the man of God you sent to us come again to teach us how to bring up the boy who is to be born.” God heard Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman while she was out in the field; but her husband Manoah was not with her. The woman hurried to tell her husband, “He’s here! The man who appeared to me the other day!” Manoah got up and followed his wife. When he came to the man, he said, “Are you the man who talked to my wife?” “I am,” he said. (Judges 13:8–11, NIV)
God can give amazing messages in ordinary moments. Pay attention to what God might be doing in your life.
We can see from the examples above that the Bible advises us to show kindness to strangers for good reason.
Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. (Hebrews 13:2, NIV)
Sometimes we don’t see that God was with us all along until we look back. Stay open to His presence in your everyday life.