Recently, my sister and I drove to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for a conference on multicultural worship. We had a great time meandering through Ohio on our way there, taking most of the day to arrive at our destination. When we arrived and began unpacking the car, I saw the front right tire and was astonished: it was completely tread-bare. I turned to my sister and said, “There must have been angels carrying us the whole way.”
Have you experienced something similar? Think of a time when something inexplicable happened to prevent you from experiencing harm or injury. Since we live in a temporal realm, it is often difficult to wrap our heads around the reality of the spiritual realm that surrounds us and all that takes place there. We can’t see it with our human eyes; the old adage applies: Out of sight, out of mind.
That spiritual realm is very real, perhaps even more real than this temporal realm. In it abide angels, beings who do the bidding of Father God, minister to those who will inherit salvation, and protect those who follow Jesus. Even Satan is aware of this realm. Remember when Satan tempted Jesus in the desert? He quoted Psalm 91:11, 12: “For He will order His angels to protect You wherever You go. They will hold You up with their hands so You won’t even hurt your foot on a stone” (New Living Translation). As we follow the biblical narrative, we see that the angels did just that. There were numerous attempts made on Jesus’ life, but all of them were thwarted in supernatural ways. (Read John 7:28-30, 40-44, 8:19-20, 57-58; 10:31-39 for more details.)
It is the same for you and me who follow Jesus and call Him our Savior and Lord. The passage in Psalms that Satan quoted goes on to say, “The LORD says, ‘I will rescue those who love Me. I will protect those who trust in my Name. When they call on Me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue them and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation’ “ Psalm 91:14-16, New Living Translation.
Ask yourself: Am I living under this umbrella of protection? If you love the Lord Jesus and follow Him, the answer is yes. What a marvelous place to be!
PRAY:
Father, You have devised a plan in which I am invincible until You call me home. Thank You that as long as I keep saying “Yes” to You and walking in Your ways, I am walking under Your umbrella. Show me how to live fully in the spiritual reality all around me, to recognize it every day, and give You praise for all the ways in which You rescue and uphold me.
READ:
Isaiah 40:11, 46:4; Psalm 91
LISTEN:
Angels by Amy Grant: https://youtu.be/3OMDxdkb_Po
~ Cathy Schrock, writer and photographer
