Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realising it! - Hebrews 13:2
In the previous reading, if you look carefully at the Scriptures that Satan used to try to get our Lord Jesus to throw Himself down from the pinnacle of the temple, you will find that it has nothing to do with endangering yourself to test God’s protection. Psalm 91:11-12 is not encouraging you to throw yourself in harm's way. It is saying that as you go about the course of your daily life, “in all your ways” the Lord will protect you. The Hebrew word for “ways” in verse 11 shows this clearly - it is the word derek, which means path, road, or journey.
As you go about your daily path, there are times when the enemy may have put snares ahead of you that you are unaware of. But God will give His angels charge over you, to go ahead of you to protect you from those snares. It doesn't mean that you should go and do something foolish and harmful to yourself to test God’s protection! Even as we trust the Lord for His divine protection, let's exercise wisdom as well.
You may be familiar with Mark 16:18, which says, “if they drank anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them.” Now, if someone challenges you to drink poison and you wilfully drink it to show that it will not hurt you, that's just being foolish. Psalm 91:11 is talking about the paths you take as part of your normal life. Drinking poison intentionally is certainly not part of your normal life. What Mark 16:18 is saying is that should you drink something harmful without realising it in the course of your day, the Lord will protect you from being harmed!
I have a missionary friend who told me how someone had tried to poison him when he was in the mission field. In the end, the person became a believer in the Lord Jesus because he saw the missionary innocently drinking the entire glass of poison - and suffering no ill effects. That's how Mark 16:18 applies!
And I hope you realise that God’s protection does not always have to come in the form of spectacular angelic interventions. I believe that every day, His protection over us is so supernaturally natural that many of us don't even realise that we have been protected. Perhaps as you were stepping off the curb, you felt something hold or pull you back, and right then, a car sped past you. What do you think held or pulled you back? It may well have been an angel, not necessarily spectacularly, but supernaturally protecting you!
Today's Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank You that Your angels protect me in all my ways as I go about the course of my daily life. Help me to walk in wisdom. I ask and thank You for Your supernaturally natural protection over me and my loved ones every day. Amen.
Today's Thought
Angelic protection covers me in all my ways as I go about the course of my daily life and walk in the Lord's wisdom.
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Prince, Joseph. The Prayer of Protection Devotional: Daily Strategies for Living Fearlessly In Dangerous Times.