Company
Mat 4:11 The Test was over. The Devil left. And in his place, angels! Angels came and took care of Jesus’ needs.
It is possible to be in the middle of a room of people and somehow not be aware of them at all. It’s amazing to me how that several conversations can take place at a high volume level in the same room and complete focus be given in each dialogue with exclusion of all the others going on simultaneously. There is a capacity within us to separate ourselves completely from recognition or realization of a very real presence. Most of the time this comes when there is an intense focus on another one. A husband can be completely oblivious to the cries for help from a wife arriving home with arms full of groceries. It’s not that he doesn’t care or want to help her, it’s just that for him at the moment an event in the form of the transportation of a football by a particularly admired athlete demands and gets his complete attention. A child, having finally arrived at the final level of his video game and in the midst of a battle with the ultimate enemy, will require much more than a simple mention of his name to acquire his attention. Until the game is turned off or its vision obscured by another form, there is little chance of making him aware of your presence. Jesus had just been in a great test with the ultimate enemy and His attention had been completely focused on making it through to victory. He had been in a conversation with His foe and each of His answers would not just determine His own fate, but the fate of all those He came to love and for whom He would give His life. This wasn’t just a simple passing of time, this was serious business that demanded and got His complete attention. There was an end to the test, however, and when there was no longer an enemy with whom He should battle, there was a realization of another presence, angels. It is very possible that the angels were there all along and were just not a part of the focus during the test. They were just waiting to come to the aid and care of Jesus. As long as His focus was upon the test alone, though, with the enemy possessing His attention they could be of no help.
We have been promised that He will never leave or forsake us (Heb 13:5), so we should be confident that there is a very real presence with us all the time, no matter what else it taking place. We’ve also been promised the care of angels and can know that we are never without their company. It’s almost like we’re in this crowded room of people that are all intent upon our success and our provision and welfare. They are continually speaking to us words of life and encouragement. They are always waiting to lift us up and care for us in whatever need we might have. It is possible, however, in this room for there to be an enemy that presents us with a test of words of doubt. Somehow he is able to acquire our complete attention and cause us to be completely oblivious to the presence of all others pressing in around us. With his words he can actually possess our attention completely and keep us bound there with our focus on him the rest of our lives. If, however, there is a knowledge of what God has said regarding the enemy’s words, there is a response within us that will cause him to leave the room altogether and we can be free to receive and live in complete awareness of God’s provision.
Though the test may require attention for a period of time, success is assured as the Word is applied to each question, and, no matter how much this test may fill the vision for the moment, there can ever be a comfort in knowing that we are not alone, but are in the great company of our Lord and His angels. As the test is completed there will surely be a realization of the perfect care of the Master’s hand that has been there all along.
