LightGrams
February 20, 2025
Volume 29, Number 8
Trail cameras have become popular for revealing wildlife that may live closer than we realize. Our son in Colorado has spotted a variety of animals in his yard, especially after dark: mule deer, turkeys, bobcats, racoons, skunks, a mountain lion, and even a bear or two. These were nearby all along, but out of sight before he installed the trail camera.
Researchers from the University of Florida recently placed 39 cameras in 33 different underground locations, in stormwater sewers along the streets of Gainesville. In 60 days they had 3,800 sightings of 35 species of animals. 50 of those sightings were of alligators, sometimes using the sewers as shortcuts between ponds, and at other times hunting for fish that were trapped in the sewers.
Other animals sighted were bats, armadillos, and 12 species of birds. The most frequent visitors, however, were racoons, spotted more than 1,800 times. One researcher said this in the United Press International story: “The abundance of animals down there was surprising.”
It would surprise us even more if we could use cameras to capture life in the spiritual realm. The spiritual realm? We’re referring now to spirit beings such as angels and demons. While many would laugh at such an outlandish suggestion, the Bible is completely serious when it directs our attention to this realm. It may be out of sight to physical eyes, but there are such beings.
In 2 Kings 6 we read of a time when Elisha and his young servant were staying in a city. The servant awoke to see an enemy army surrounding the city and cried out in fear. Elisha, however, calmly offered this prayer to God: “’O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.’ So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Kings 6:17. Though the young man had not seen them, God’s help was present.
Hebrews 1:14 speaks of angels and their role in our world: “Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?” That tells me that angels are sometimes used by God to assist His people. I am a follower of Christ, so should I expect angels to be occasionally dispatched to help me? That’s how I understand that passage.
Consider also Hebrews 12:22 where the writer tries to open our eyes to the realities around us: “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering.” How many angels are there? That passage says that they can’t be counted! We don’t see them with our physical eyes, but they are most certainly present.
We live in a material world, but the Bible says we also live in the midst of spiritual beings. Some of them are determined to harm us (see Ephesians 6:10-12), but a great many more are faithful servants of God, and their job is to assist us. Is this not a very encouraging fact to know?
Come to the light God offers! Study His word, the Bible. Worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24). Get in touch with us if you’d like to discuss these ideas further.
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Copyright, 2025, Timothy D. Hall. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from the New King James Version (Copyright, 1990, Thomas Nelson, Inc.).
“LightGrams” is produced by the Central Church of Christ, 2722 Oakland Avenue, Johnson City, Tennessee, 37601, and is written by Tim Hall, minister. It is sent free of charge every Thursday to all who request it. To subscribe or to receive more information, write to “[email protected]” (our E-mail address), to the U.S. mail address above, or call (423) 282-1571.
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