Surrounded by Angels!

God’s angels are messengers sent forth to carry out His Word and minister to us as believers.

Bless the LORD, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His Word, heeding the voice of His Word. Bless the LORD all you His hosts, you ministers of His, who do His pleasure. Psalm 103:20 – 21
Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire. Psalm 104:4
Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation? Hebrews 1:14

Angels respond to the voice of His Word. The voice of His Word can come through our voice as we declare His Word over our lives and situations. Angelic help comes because they have been motivated to move on our behalf as we speak God’s Word under the unction of the Spirit of God. We receive supernatural help as heirs of salvation.

Angels are messengers and can offer information (Luke 1:5-38). They can also provide direction, bring provision and war on our behalf (Genesis 24:1 – 7; Acts 8:26; Genesis 21:15 – 19; 1 Kings 19:5 – 6; 2 Kings 19:35; 2 Kings 6:15 – 17. Angels can also bring in the harvest, bring judgment, assist in healing, and bring encouragement (Matthew 13:39; 1 Chronicles 21:15; John 5:3 – 4; Daniel 9:21).

What we are looking at today is that angels can also protect us! Even as an angel of the LORD protected and delivered Shadrach, Meshach, Abed-Nego, Daniel, and Peter, we also can be protected and delivered (Daniel 3:25-29; 6:19-22; Acts 12:5-11).

The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him and delivers them. Psalm 34:7
The angel of Yahweh stooped down to listen as I prayed, encircling me, empowering me, and showing me how to escape. He will do this for everyone who fears God. Psalm 34:7 (TPT)

The word translated “fear” implies deep reverence, respect, and awe, not terror (Psalm 33:8). So how do we walk in the fear of the Lord?

Choose to fear the Lord. We love what God loves and hate what He hates, i.e., evil, pride, arrogance, evil behavior, and perverse speech (Proverbs 8:13).
Learn to trust the Lord daily. He is our strong confidence and refuge (Proverbs 14:26).
Spend time in His presence, i.e., through meditating on His Word, in prayer and worship.
Put away idols and serve the Lord wholeheartedly (Joshua 24:14-15)
Walk in wisdom and understanding (Job 28:28; Psalm 111:10)

There are benefits to walking in the fear of the Lord!

The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death. Proverbs 14:27
But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children, to such as keep His covenant, and to those who remember His commandments to do them. Psalm 103:17-18

There has been some conversation regarding who the angel of the Lord is in Psalm 34:7. Some believe it should be translated as the Angel of the LORD, who in the Old Testament times was the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity (Genesis 16:7-13; Exodus 23:20-23; Joshua 5:13-15).

So whether Psalm 34:7 is referring to the Lord Jesus Himself, or one of His angel guardians (Joshua 5:13-15), we are protected and delivered! We may not always be aware of the presence of angels, but we can be mindful of their protection (2 Kings 6:15-17).

The Bible indicates that we each have a guardian angel since childhood.

“Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 18:10

We can pray and ask the Lord to send His angels to assist, protect and deliver us, but they should not be our primary focus. Instead, our eyes are fixed on Jesus, and our confidence is in God! We find safety and refuge as we dwell in the secret place of the Most High, abiding in His Presence (Psalm 91:1-3).

He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings, you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. Psalm 91:4
For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands, they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. Psalm 91:11-12

I like how Christine Miller at http://www.alittleperspective.com describes in her blog on July 30, 2014, that Psalm 91:4 and 91:11-12 pair with each other to reveal Divine protection; “His wings and feathers cover and deflect, and His angel’s guard and protect.”

In a previous blog, we looked at how God’s favor surrounds us as a shield (Psalm 5:12). In Psalm 91:4, we see that God’s truth is our shield and buckler that protects us. His Word is truth (John 17:17; 16:13; 8:31-32; Psalm 119:160; Proverbs 30:5).

But You, O LORD, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head. Psalm 3:3
Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds His people from this time forth and forever. Psalm 125:1 – 2

How comforting to know that we are saved and protected!

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You that Your angels work on our behalf and carry out Your Word. Forgive us for the times we have not activated their help by speaking Your Word. Teach us by Your Spirit to walk in the fear of the LORD and to declare Your Word so angels can be dispatched to help us. Show us how to partner with them to advance Your kingdom! In the name of Jesus, Amen.

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