“See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him. If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you. My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out.” (Exodus 23:20-23 NIV)
I have to admit that for years, even into the early years of my pastoral ministry, I somehow missed the guardian angel that traveled with the Israelites during their wilderness journey and into the Promised Land. Read our verses again, and you will see that this angel went ahead of the Israelites. He assured them that they were moving in the right direction. He spoke to them whatever message God had for them. There was a direct correlation between Israel’s obedience to the angel and God’s providential direction. God promised every blessing, including victory over their enemies, as long as the Israelites were obedient to Him and His angel.
The Bible states in several other places that we have guardian angels, too. God supplies us messengers from heaven to direct or protect our path. I know Christians who have been miraculously protected from tragedy by a guardian angel. I know others who have had angels visit them to assure them that everything was going to be all right and was going according to God’s plan. Still others have had messengers from heaven come to tell them that their life was on the wrong course, and that there was need for change.
My point is that we often doubt whether the heavenly ever touches the earthly, and our Bible tells us that it happens all the time. We need to see in this heavenly governance the hand of a loving and gracious Heavenly Father. He promised He would never leave us or forsake us, and He hasn’t!
Peace!
Pastor Tom
www.firmlyrooted.church
