Psalm 91 - Study 32 - Our authority

Psalm 91 - Study 32 - Our Authority

We read in Psalm 91:13, “You will have power to trample on lions and poisonous snakes.” (ERV)

Our studies on Psalm 91 hitherto have described in detail the protection that is available to those who have made the Lord their refuge and dwelling place. Psalm 91 verse 13 makes clear the authority that is available for those who are God’s children, whom the Psalmist says will have power to trample on lions and poisonous snakes. To trample something under our feet implies that it is powerless to stand before us.

A similar verse is also found in the New Testament. These are the words of Jesus as found in

Luke 10:19, “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.” (ESV)

The Lord bestows this authority to those who believe in Him. We will study further to understand what this authority means to us.

The authority that Adam and Eve received from God

After Adam and Eve were created the first blessing that God endowed them with this special blessing.

We read in Genesis 1:28, “God blessed them and said to them, "Have many children. Fill the earth and take control of it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the air. Rule over every living thing that moves on the earth." (ERV)

God gave Adam and Eve the authority to rule over all of His creation. As long as Adam lived in submission to God’s authority, he was able to exercise this mastery over all creation. Adam was able to exercise this power over creation with the word of his mouth, until the day he disobeyed the command of God. The day Adam and Eve disobeyed, they lost this authority that God had bestowed on them.

Let me explain this with an example from everyday life. A government employee can exercise his authority as long as he or she remains subject to their higher authority. If they are insubordinate for any reason, they will most certainly forfeit the powers that was vested in them. The word authority is an important term which needs to be understood and also implemented in the proper way.

The centurion who understood this authority

We read in Matthew 8:9, “I know this, because I understand authority. There are people who have authority over me, and I have soldiers under my authority. I tell one soldier, 'Go,' and he goes. I tell another soldier, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and my servant obeys me."” (ERV)

In Matthew chapter 8 we read about a centurion who came to Jesus on behalf of his servant, who was paralyzed and suffering. Being a Roman Centurion he completely understood the true implications of what it meant to be in authority. He explained to Jesus the fact that he was a man under authority, but that he also had a hundred soldiers who were under his authority. This man had clearly understood who Jesus really was, the authority that was apparent in Him and therefore he knew a word from Jesus was enough to heal his servant. As one who exercised authority over his soldiers, the centurion inferred that the words of Jesus were so powerful that there was nothing that could not be accomplished just by His word. This was the reason why he exhibited such unshakable faith in Jesus and in what He could do. The result was that he received the astounding miracle of immediate healing for his ailing servant, who was paralyzed.

Interestingly all through the scriptures we note that those who perceived who God truly was, experienced the wonders of God in their lives. Often we miss out on overcoming the enemy, simply because we have failed to realize the power and authority of God in whom we believe. Many of us have not fully comprehended the power that is there in God and His word. If each of us can fully apprehend the authority that is in God and as to what He has lavished on us, we too can experience those miraculous interventions of God in our lives. If any of you are challenged with circumstances that are too difficult, complex and beyond your control, all you need to do is acknowledge the power and authority of God over that situation. As we speak words of faith over these situations, trusting in the power of God, we will certainly experience speedy deliverance and have victory in every area of our lives.

The authority that God had bestowed on Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden was usurped by Satan deceitfully. Satan craftily presented to Adam and Eve things that were not, as though they were and in the process cunningly deceived them into believing his lies. Satan is a liar and he will disillusion us to not see all that we have and will cripple us to believe that we are nothing.

We live in Nilgiris in South India which is a hill station, where we have many wild elephants. Though an elephant has enormous strength, men are able to tame them and keep them shackled with a flimsy chain. The way this is accomplished is that the wild elephant when caught is kept confined to a cage so that it is unable to free itself. After a while the elephant is made to believe that it is weak and has no strength. Once freed, even though it is tied with a feeble chain, the elephant is conditioned to believe that it cannot break free. So also, Satan has filled our minds with his lies and has made man believe that he have no power or authority whatsoever.

The devil tempted Jesus when he offered this authority

We read in Luke 4:6-7, “and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.”” (ESV)

In the temptations that Jesus faced in the wilderness, the devil showed him all the splendors of this world, and offered to hand over the authority and glory to Jesus, if He would bow down and worship Satan. Notice how Satan declared that all this authority was now in his hands and that he would choose to give it to whomsoever he wanted to give it to. Jesus did not condemn Satan at this point and call him a liar, but rather He rebuked him and charged him to get behind him. This authority which the devil cunningly grabbed from Adam and Eve, he was now subtly offering to Jesus Himself.

Jesus restored back to us this authority

In order for man to regain back this authority that he forfeited at the Garden of Eden, there was a necessity that another man should come who would help restore this power back to man.

We read in Philippians 2:7-8, “Instead, he gave up everything, even his place with God. He accepted the role of a servant, appearing in human form. During his life as a man, he humbled himself by being fully obedient to God, even when that caused his death—death on a cross.” (ERV)

This was what Jesus did when He came down from the Father, gave up everything that was duly His, lowered Himself to play the role of a servant and took on human form. Jesus humbled himself to this extent to reclaim this authority from the hands of the enemy and to restore it back to the hands of men. The Lord Jesus was obedient to the Father, even to the point of death on the cross. If we observe the life of Jesus while here on earth, it was a life surrendered to the Father in heaven, in complete dependence and obedience to His will. Jesus was in total submission right to the end, and willingly went to the cross, for it was only through this price He paid by His death, could all of mankind be redeemed from sin and death. It was this redemptive act of Jesus that gave back to man the authority that was his that he had lost in the Garden of Eden.

The authority that is given to Jesus

Just before His ascension, Jesus declared these words to His disciples.

We read in Matthew 28:18, “So he came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth is given to me.” (ERV)

These are the words of the risen Lord Jesus, who affirmed to His disciples that all authority both in heaven and on earth were given to Him. This authority Jesus is willing to bestow on all those who walk in obedience to Him.

The authority that is available to us

We read in Ephesians 1:19-22, “And you will know that God's power is very great for us who believe. It is the same as the mighty power he used to raise Christ from death and put him at his right side in the heavenly places. He put Christ over all rulers, authorities, powers, and kings. He gave him authority over everything that has power in this world or in the next world. God put everything under Christ's power and made him head over everything for the church.” (ERV)

Paul writing to the church at Ephesus, explains in detail that the mighty power that God demonstrated to raise Jesus from the dead, is freely available to us who believe in Him. He was praying that the people of God would have their eyes enlightened so that they could comprehend the incomparably great power of God that is available to those who believe in Jesus. This power placed Christ far above all rulers, authorities, powers and kings and subjected everything under His feet. God also gave Jesus the authority to rule over everything both in this world and in the next. The name of Jesus Christ has been exalted far above all other names and everything is under His divine control. Also God has made Christ the head of the church as well.

When surrounded by perils on all sides, we get bewildered and tend to forget this power and authority that God has graciously conferred on us as His children. Irrespective of how complex our circumstances seem, if we can fully fathom that this mighty power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to us, we will overcome every hurdle with ease. If we are not aware of this authority that God has entrusted to us, we will continue in our weakness and won’t experience His mighty power that can be demonstrated through each one of us.

As Moses stood before the Red Sea with the Egyptian army in pursuit of them and the Red Sea ahead of them, he was in a dilemma. As he cried out to God, the Lord reminded him that He had already bequeathed His authority to Moses. He reminded Moses to use the rod in his hand and as Moses lifted the rod, the sea parted to make a way for the people of Israel. Like Moses, we need to constantly remind ourselves that God has through Christ restored this authority to us.

Christ, who is the head of the church implies that this authority that is in Christ has been entrusted to all of us who are members of the body of Christ. Let us not lose heart, but with oneness of heart and mind be willing to use this authority that we have received from the Lord.

Let me in conclusion remind us again of Psalm 91:13, “You will have power to trample on lions and poisonous snakes.” (ERV) and also of the words of Jesus as recorded in Luke 10:19, “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.” (ESV)

I would like to explain this with an illustration from electricity. There are power plants where electricity is generated which are then distributed to various substations. This electricity is then delivered to our homes through cables. However, if we want to utilize this electricity, we have to turn on the necessary switches or use the suitable plug points in our homes to turn on the lights or other appliances. So also the power of God is available to us, but it is up to us to understand this authority that God has endowed us with, and to exercise this authority over the situations that seem to overwhelm us. Let us be encouraged to know that all authority in heaven and on earth belongs to Jesus. Therefore, instead of living in fear let us in future exercise this authority over circumstances that seem to overwhelm us. As obedient children of God, let us walk by faith with the total assurance that nothing will defeat us, but rather that we will execute this authority and come forth triumphant over every trial and hardship.

Pastor Dixon

www.goodnewsfriends.net

Transcribed by Sis. Esther Collins

Psalm 91 - Study 31 - Specially protected

Psalm 91 - Study 31 - Specially Protected

We read in Psalm 91:11-12, “He will command his angels to protect you wherever you go. Their hands will catch you so that you will not hit your foot on a rock.” (ERV)

Those who trust in the Lord are guaranteed an extraordinary protection over their lives. The Lord commands his angels to keep us safe in all our ways. Moreover, the angels will bear us up in their hands, so that even our foot will not be struck by a stone.

We will look at some of the incidents in the bible to understand how this was actualized in the lives of these people.

The angel of God stopped Balaam

In Numbers 22:12, we read, “And God said to Balaam, You are not to go with them, or put a curse on this people, for they have my blessing.” (ERV)

As the people of Israel were journeying towards the promised-land, the king of Moab, whose name was Balak, was apprehensive about the strength of the Israelites. He knew that they were a mighty power to reckon with and that it would be impossible to conquer them through war. He therefore, schemed that he would invite a prophet of God who would curse the Israelites, so that they would be ruined. With this in mind the king of Moab approached the prophet Balaam to do this job and speak a curse on the people of Israel.

When the men from Balak approached Balaam, he enquired of the Lord if he could go along with them. God replied him in the negative as we read in Numbers 22:12. God’s instruction was forthright to Balaam. God forbade him to go and also restrained him to not curse the people of Israel as God’s blessings rested on them. On hearing God’s word of caution, as Balaam sought to pull back, he was pressured by the king of Moab who sent more men and promised him with greater treasures. Balaam was eventually allured by the king’s offers.

The prophets of God were those who had access to God. God spoke to them and revealed His plans to them. Often they did not realize this blessed privilege that was theirs and sought to do their own thing. It is possible that we too can make this mistake. As we grow closer in our relationship with God, we should never forget that God is so great and awesome and never to be taken for granted.

Just like King Balak there are still some people today, who in order to beat down those who are stronger than them, indulge in various concealed evil practices. Whenever the Lord prohibits something in our lives, it is wise for us to obey and let go of it.

Balaam did not give up

We read in Numbers 22:13, “In the morning Balaam got up and said to the chiefs of Balak, Go back to your land, for the Lord will not let me go with you.” (ERV)

Also in Numbers 22:20, “And that night God came to Balaam and said to him, If these men have come for you, go with them: but do only what I say to you.” (ERV)

As Balaam persisted with God that He should be granted permission to go along with the men to Balak, the Lord gave in and allowed him to go to the king of Moab. However, the Lord cautioned Balaam that he was to only say those things that He asked him to say. Balaam was so enticed by the king’s offer that he forgot the fact that nothing that any earthly king offered would suffice when compared to the blessings that came from God above.

God’s anger was roused against Balaam

We read in Numbers 22:22, “And God's anger was kindled because he went.” (AFV)

Though God let Balaam go ahead with his own plan, the Lord was indignant with Him for doing so.

There are Christian young people who when it comes to making a choice of their life-partner, choose an unbeliever. They plead with God to let them marry that person. Often the Lord will counsel them in various ways, but when they keep on persisting the Lord will not hinder them from having what they ask for. They will invariably have to face the consequences of their decisions, and every so often end up living with regret.

The donkey saw what Balaam did not

As Balaam continued on the path of rebellion against God, this is what happened.

We read in Numbers 22:25, “And when the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she pushed herself into the wall and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall.” (AFV)

Balaam proceeded towards his destination on a donkey, and the angel of the Lord appeared to stop him, and sadly only the donkey recognized the angel. As the donkey walked down a narrow path with a wall on either side, the angel of the Lord appeared before them with a drawn sword in his hand. In fear and alarm the donkey pushed itself into the wall and thereby crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall.

A prophet can be described as on who seeks God resolutely. Nonetheless, Balaam’s willful disobedience to the word of God put him in a predicament where he could not perceive what his donkey could. The call that Balaam received from King Balak was to curse the people of God and instead of rejecting such an offer, Balaam was beguiled by the gifts that the king offered.

As children of God, we must keep in mind that we must have a mind to willingly give up those things that the Lord does not approve of. To go against the will of God and expect His protection over our lives is an impossibility.

Compare Numbers 22:25 and Psalm 91:12. Both describe the work of the angel of the Lord and also speak about the foot. The difference is that the disobedience of Balaam resulted in his foot being hurt, whereas the Lord promises protection to the feet of those who find refuge in Him.

There are so many who are wounded and wearied simply because they have decided to do their own thing and have not given heed to God’s voice or His counsel. Oftentimes when we are going down the wrong path like Balaam, in disobedience to God’s word, we may not be aware of it, but interestingly it will be quite obvious to everyone around us, like in Balaam’s case, even to a donkey.

This is a time to analyze our lives and to let go of those things God does not approve of. If we do not heed his voice, we will lose out on the blessings that are due us. We must realize that God alone knows the end and therefore walking in obedience to His counsel is always the best place to be in. When faced with a dilemma whether to choose the world or God, we should be wise to choose God. He alone knows our past, present and future and hence He is the only one who can guide us aright.

If like Balaam we have been stubborn and chosen the path that God does not approve of, we can still repent and turn back to God. The word of God assures us in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (ESV)

David obeyed God wholeheartedly

Hear the words of David in 1 Chronicles 28:2-3, “And David the king stood up on his feet and said, "Hear me, my brethren and my people. I had in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and for the footstool of our God, and had made preparations for the building. But God said to me, 'You shall not build a house for My name, because you have been a man of war and have shed blood.'” (AFV)

David was a man who walked with God and rejoiced in the presence of God. David remembered that God had elevated him from being an ordinary shepherd boy to becoming King of Israel. David’s heart was filled with gratitude and he yearned to honor God in a big way. He longed to build a temple for the Lord where he could place the ark-of-the-covenant. David desired a good thing, but still He sought God’s approval before he proceeded with the same.

Though David had made all necessary preparations, God forbade David from building the temple. David joyfully accepted God’s verdict and let God have His way in the matter. David understood that when God disapproved of something, it was always for his good. It was this obedient heart of David that God endorsed and therefore established his throne forever. Though David was the King of Israel, he never failed to give the honor and reverence that was due to God alone.

David and Balaam were both men of God and they even conversed with God. However, what they did was in complete contrast to each other. David willingly accepted God’s counsel and gave up his plans to build the temple, though they were good. The consummation of David’s obedience resulted in his son Solomon building a magnificent temple for the glory of God. Balaam on the other hand, rejected God’s advice and went ahead on the path of disobedience and ended up with much trouble.

The things we want to do may even be good things, but we need to seek the Lord before making every decision. The mistake many of us make is that we first decide and then go to God for approval. Generally when people come to me for counselling, one of the first things I ask them is if they are open to receive advice. The reason for this is that for those who have made up their mind about something and are unwilling for change, there is no point is spending hours together giving them any sort of counsel. At the end of the session, we will realize that we have wasted our time as the person did not budge one bit from the stance that they had taken at the beginning of the conversation. Often we do the same with God too. We go to Him for counsel but have already made up their mind as to what we would do. The consequence is that our lives are crammed with untold misery and heartaches.

The reason for the situation that entire humanity is encountering right now is that we have sought after things that God has withheld from us for our own good. This was the exact same thing that Adam and Eve did when they decided to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God knew the consequences way ahead of time, but Adam and Eve were determined to do their own thing, as they imagined they would be wise and blessed if they did so. Even today, Satan is deceiving many into accepting those things that God has clearly disapproved of. For instance, it is God’s will for a man and woman who are united in marriage to stay together till parted by death. However, people are finding numerous flimsy reasons to be separated or divorced.

This is the time for us to take stock of the decisions that we are making every day. Those that can be changed that are not in line with God’s will, need to be set aside immediately. Children for instance, must understand that God’s word commands that they be obedient to their parents. Nonetheless, the enemy is constantly stirring children’s hearts towards disobedience and rebellion to their parents. We are living in a society where grown up children detest any sort of counsel from their parents. Children are admonished by God to honor the parents whom He has graciously given us. Everything that is taught in the Holy scriptures is entirely for our good and never for our evil.

God’s promise to us as written in Psalm 91:11-12, “He will command his angels to protect you wherever you go. Their hands will catch you so that you will not hit your foot on a rock.” (ERV).

What a joy and privilege we have as those who dwell in the secret place of the Most High God. We are guaranteed that God will command His angels to be our security wherever we go and that they will protect us from all harm and danger.

In the Garden of Eden, as long as Adam and Eve walked in obedience to God, they enjoyed fellowship with God, His presence, peace, oneness and health. The moment they chose to disobey God’s command, they were expelled from the presence of God. God also set up His angel to guard the entrance of that garden, so that Adam and Eve could no longer gain entry into it.

Many people have lost the beautiful presence of the Garden of Eden in their lives. Adam and Eve had no way to get back in and regain what they had forfeited. However, after the Lord Jesus came down and lived on the earth, died for our sins and rose again for us, we who live two thousand years later have the assurance that we can receive forgiveness for our sins from the Lord Jesus if we truly repent. The Lord can restore back to us His presence that we have lost because of the wrong choices or decisions that we made. If we call on the Lord, He is willing to heed our cry and deliver us from our predicament.

There are some who are in ministry too who because of the wrong decisions they made, are in a place of loss of God’s presence and His guidance. Instead of blaming yourself, be reminded that the Lord has promised that He will never leave you nor forsake you. God is able to uphold us with His righteous right hand. To those who started off with huge visions to accomplish great things for God and have faltered along the way, got distracted by things of this world, you can still call unto the Lord, who can make you rise up and shine again for His glory. In Psalm 51, David pleaded with God for a clean heart and if that is our cry, we can be certain that the Lord will answer us and make all things new.

The sole cunning scheme of the enemy is to call good what God calls evil and to call evil all that God calls good. The Devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness and in one of the temptations he quoted from Psalm 91:11-12 and asked Jesus to jump off a highest point of the temple quoting that God had given angels charge over Him, so that He will not strike His foot against a stone. Jesus gave Him the apt response when He said ‘you shall not put the Lord your God to test’.

The Devil is constantly seeking to tempt us into wrong doing. His singular goal is to take us off the narrow way and to confuse us by posing evil as good and good as evil. Once we get on this wayward path, for a while it may seem good, but soon we will realize that everything along this path is topsy-turvy and entirely for our detriment. We must be aware that Satan is a liar and a father of lies.

God requires this of us

We read in Deuteronomy 10:12-13, “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes which I command you today for your good? (NKJV)

All that the Lord expects of us as mentioned in the verses above, is that we fear the Lord which means that we live a life of reverence to Him. Also that we walk in His ways, love Him, serve Him and keep all of His commandments.

There may be many things that we have chosen for ourselves that the Lord does not approve of. We may have also have encountered numerous consequences for these wrong decisions. The Lord is calling us back and if we get back to Him, He can transform our lives and our circumstances. If we walk in the path that God has ordained for us, surely He will command His angels to guard us and they will keep our ways secure, uphold us with their hands so that our feet are not struck by a rock. The Lord has promised this great security for His children who trust Him and walk in obedience to Him.

Pastor Dixon

www.goodnewsfriends.net

Transcribed by Sis. Esther Collins

Psalm 91 - Study 30 - Under angelic protection

Psalm 91 - Study 30 - Under Angelic Protection 

We read in Psalm 91:11, “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” (ESV)

Psalm 91 in its entirety portrays most vividly the protection of God that is available to all those who take refuge in God and make Him their dwelling place. The above mentioned verse describes how God has commanded His angels to guard us in all our ways.

You may have observed the additional security being provided by the government for those who are in high positions, especially if there is a threat to their life. However, as children of God we need to be reminded that our protection comes not from men, but from God Himself. The Lord has given His angels this task or responsibility to take care of His own. Angels are God’s mysterious creation, who are constantly in His presence, worshipping Him. The amazing truth is that these heavenly beings are being sent by God to help human beings who live here on the earth.

In this study we will explore several passages from the Bible where these angels were sent to minister to God’s people under various circumstances. I hope that by the end of this message that all our fears will be replaced with confidence, knowing that God has appointed His angels to watch over us and there is therefore nothing we need to be fearful of.

Lot and his family were saved by angels

We read in Genesis 19:15, “As morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city.” (ESV)

The land of Sodom and Gomorrah where Lot lived was filled with wickedness. It was therefore expected that the judgement of God was to be dealt with justly. Knowing that the cities were going to come under His fierce wrath and judgement, God in His mercy sent His angels to deliver Lot and his family from this great catastrophe. The angels literally dragged Lot and his family out of the city and begged them to flee, before the entire cities were swept away by God’s intense anger.

Our lives are secure in the hands of the Lord. Often we are afraid of all the calamities that surround us. The wrath of God that is being revealed on the world will not come near us, for God will be gracious to us and keep us secure, just like He did for Job and his family.

In Proverbs 11:21 we read, “Though hand join in hand, the evil man shall not be unpunished; But the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.” (ASV)

Think about those who are evil at heart, they will often find similar minded people to rally along with them, to carry out their wicked schemes. In contrast those who are godly and want to lead a righteous life, will often find themselves all alone. I believe that it is far better to be godly and have God on your side, rather than be evil and have the company of evil men as our support.

Korah rose up against Moses

We read in Numbers 16:2, “And they rose up before Moses, with a number of the people of Israel, 250 chiefs of the congregation, chosen from the assembly, well-known men.” (ESV)

The people of Israel were delivered from cruel bondage to the Egyptians under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. As the people of Israel journeyed through the wilderness, there was a plot by a man named Korah against Moses and Aaron. If Moses had not obeyed God to stand and plead before Pharaoh, if God had not heard Moses’ plea and decided to deliver the Israelites from slavery, they would still have remained in brutal bondage to the Egyptians. However, God in His mercy used Moses to lead these people out of their distressing situation and granted them a life of freedom. Instead of appreciating all the Moses had done for them, there was an Israelite named Korah who became rebellious and questioned the authority of Moses and Aaron.

This Korah gathered together with him two hundred and fifty men of renown whom he allured to himself. Moses was a righteous man and therefore, God stood on Moses’ side while Korah and his cronies stood on the other side against Moses. When God executed His judgement, Korah and his men had to face a tragic end for their evil act of insurgency against God’s appointed leaders. However, Moses continued to lead the people of Israel onward in their journey towards the promised-land.

Sadly, even today, we have many like Korah who are so unthankful to those who helped them and are ungrateful to God too. Some of us may have had this experience wherein we went out of the way to help someone and they mustered together a group to turn against us. If it happened to Moses, let’s take heart that we too are not exempt from these wicked plots of men, so let us not grow weary. Let us be reminded from Proverbs 11:21 that though they join forces, the wicked will not go unpunished and if God is on our side no evil scheme can prevail against us. The second part of the same verse encourages us to know that the posterity of the righteous will surely be delivered.

The angel God sent to help Isaac find a wife

If we read the life of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who were the patriarchs, they walked in obedience to God and oftentimes the Lord sent His angels to minister to them.

We read in Genesis 24:7, “He shall send His Angel before you, and you shall take a wife from there for my son.” (LITV)

In this incident God sent an angel before Abraham’s servant, as he went out to find a suitable bride for Abraham’s son Isaac. Isn’t it amazing that God would even be concerned about finding a wife for Isaac and was willing to send His angel to guide Abraham’s servant in the process.

We too are the spiritual children of Abraham because of what Jesus has accomplished for us, and therefore there is no need for us to be fearful, for the Lord will send His angels to guide us through all life’s circumstances.

The angel of God ministered to Elijah

In 1 Kings 19:4, “But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” (ESV)

The prophet Elijah was an extremely zealous man of God. This same Elijah also came to a point of being completely wearied and exhausted. Elijah had challenged the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel and won an astounding victory for the Lord. However, soon after this triumph, when Elijah was threatened by Queen Jezebel, that she would take his life at any cost, Elijah was totally distraught. Elijah fled from Jezebel’s presence through the wilderness and in complete exhaustion sat under a broom tree and begged God to take his life. As Elijah slept under that tree alone, wearied and fatigued, the Lord sent His angel to provide bread and water to Elijah. This the angel did twice until Elijah was strengthened to carry on with his journey.

There may be those who have come to the end of the rope and feel you have no strength to carry on. We have a loving God who is willing to change our loneliness and our weariness with His loving presence and divine strength. We can be assured that as long as we fulfill the purposes that God has willed for our lives, He will not leave us or forsake us. We should say along with the apostle Paul in Philippians 4:13, “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” (NLT)

The angel of the Lord kept Daniel safe

Another issue that most of us are challenged with is envy from those around us. When we are surrounded by these jealous people, the situation may seem overwhelming, especially when there are those plotting our downfall. This is exactly what Daniel faced as he rose in his position in the kingdom of Babylon.

The ones who worked with Daniel were so filled with jealousy that they schemed against him and had the king throw him into the lions’ den. Though the king thought highly of Daniel and did not approve of this, he had to carry out this cruel punishment because of the edict that he has passed. Daniel had to spend an entire night in the den of these savage and hungry lions.

These are the words of Daniel as recorded in Daniel 6:22, “My God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” (ESV)

As the king approached the lions’ den the next morning and called out to Daniel, this was the response he heard from Daniel from out of the den of hungry lions. The Lord had sent His angel to shut the mouth of those fierce and hungry lions, so that they would do Daniel no harm. Daniel could boldly testify that the protection he enjoyed was because he had lived a blameless life before God and the king. Though Daniel had led an exemplary life before God and men, he too had to face injustice that was meted out to him by vile men. The good news is that God was with Daniel and He brought him unscathed from that perilous situation.

The angels are mighty ministers of God, but observe the simple tasks that the Lord entrusts them with on behalf of human beings. For Lot and his family it was to save them from destruction, for Isaac it was that he find a suitable wife, for Elijah it was to give him food and water to strengthen him and for Daniel it was the task to shut the mouth of those hungry lions. If we want to experience the same protection that Daniel experienced then it is a necessity that we too live without blame before God and men. All these are recorded to encourage us that as long as we live here on earth there is nothing to fear, for the Lord has promised to send His angels to keep us safe and secure.

The angel Gabriel visited Zechariah

We read in Luke 1:19, “And answering, the angel said to him, I am Gabriel, who stands before God, and I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you the good news of these things.” (LITV)

The angel Gabriel who stands before the Almighty God, was sent to convey a message to Zechariah who was the priest at the temple. Zechariah ministered before the Lord and his wife Elizabeth was barren and they were both well advanced in years. Zechariah must have led a life that so pleased God that God was willing to send His angel to convey the joyful news that he would soon be blessed with a son, who later became John the Baptist. God could have passed on this message through anyone, but God chose to send His angel to Zechariah.

God is still willing and able to send His angel to minister to us in our various situations. However, on our part we must decide to live the life of holiness and integrity that God requires of us, just like Zachariah and Elizabeth did. Oftentimes we expect great things from God, but are not prepared to do our part as God expects of us.

The angel of the Lord delivered Peter

King Herod persecuted those who belonged to the church and when he found that this was met with approval from the Jews, he ordered to have Peter arrested and cast him in prison with the intention to execute him. Herod also had ordered that Peter be guarded with sixteen soldiers. As Peter languished in prison, the church prayed for his release.

We read in Act 12:6-7, “But when Herod was about to bring him out, in that night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, being bound with two chains, also guards were keeping the prison before the door. And, behold! An angel of the Lord stood by, and a light shone in the building. And striking Peter's side, he raised him up, saying, Rise up in haste! And the chains fell off from his hands.” (LITV)

In spite of the fact that Peter was in an adverse situation, his life in jeopardy, bound with two chains and lying between two soldiers, he was still fast asleep that night. Peter could sleep peacefully even in prison, because he knew that his life was safe in the hands of God whom he trusted. One angel of the Lord, sent from God’s presence, was more than sufficient, to handle this situation, though there were sixteen Roman soldiers guarding Peter’s cell. The angel came through the prison doors and stood right next to Peter. There was a bright light that shone in the cell, the angel woke Peter up and the chains that bound Peter just fell off from his hands. No prison, no chains or soldiers could prevent the angel of the Lord from bringing deliverance to Peter, for God was in complete control.

Sometimes Satan will carry out his cunning schemes, to put an end to our lives, but we must rest assured that our lives are secure in the hands of God. The evil one can never pluck us out of God’s mighty hands. There are many people who are unable to sleep because their minds are crowded with innumerable anxious thoughts that rid them of peace and rest. The guarantee we have as children of God is that no evil will befall us, without the Lord permitting it and our life is preserved by our Almighty God.

No man or power of men can hinder God’s presence or prevail against His might. God is Almighty and All-powerful. It doesn’t really matter who rises up against us, if the Lord sends one angel on our behalf that is more than enough for us. No matter how complex the situation that we find ourselves in, God’s word from Psalm 91:11, “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways” (ESV), comes to assure us that God will give charge to His angels to protect us wherever we go. We have seen great examples of angelic intervention in the lives of Moses, Abraham and Isaac, Elijah, Daniel, Zachariah and Peter. Let us rest assured that the Lord is with us, and He will certainly protect us from all harm and dangers. He will certainly keep us safe and secure in His loving care.

Pastor Dixon

www.goodnewsfriends.net

Transcribed by Sis. Esther Collins