He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust; his truth shall be thy shield and buckler…. Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation, there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. Psalms 91:4, 9-11

The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. Psalms 34:7

She stopped at the end of the side road before pulling out on the highway. As always, she looked both ways, and back again. Seeing nothing, she drove forward, intending to turn left. Seemingly from nowhere, a car slammed into her. She thought she was stepping on the brakes, but hit the gas instead. Her car shot on across the highway, through another side road running parallel on the other side, and up a bank. It flipped over, with her and her grandson inside. He managed to knock out a window with his elbow, and the two of them crawled out. Minutes later, for no other reason than by divine appointment, three of her children showed up, all in separate vehicles and without prior arrangement. Both of the vehicles in the accident were a total loss, but the three people involved were treated and released at a hospital that same day.

My sister and her grandson escaped with no more than pain and stiffness in their necks. It is so easy when such things happen to concentrate on the bad part; no one wants to have an accident. From looking at the condition of the vehicles afterward, though, it was remarkable -- we would say miraculous -- that no one was more seriously injured, or killed. The fact that several family members showed up at just the right time was no less a miracle. The Lord was at work, watching over his people.

Instances of the Lord's watch care over individuals, and over his people, are myriad in Scripture. From Noah to Abraham and Lot, from David to Daniel, God delivered his people out of fire and flood, out of the clutches of wild beasts, and out of the hands of powerful enemies. Sometimes he spoke a word to close the mouth of lions, sometimes he uttered a voice of thunder that set enemies to flee. He walked in the midst of the fiery furnace with the three children of Israel, shielding them from the flames. In the night watches he spoke in the dreams of his saints, warning them of impending danger. His angel led Peter out of prison (Acts 12:7-10), and comforted Paul with the knowledge that all those aboard a storm-tossed ship would be saved (Acts 27:21-25).

He is the Good Shepherd standing watch over his sheep, guarding them from wolf, lion and bear. When one of the flock strays away, he seeks after him, rejoicing when the lost one returns to the fold. He neither sleeps nor slumbers, and he looks over us with watchful eye when we lay our heads down to rest. Whether we're in our cars, in our homes, in businesses, on planes, or in some foreign land, he never leaves our side. Whether we live or die, he never leaves us or forsakes us. If God be for us, Paul wrote, who can be against us, and who can separate us from the love of Christ? (Romans 8:31, 35a) Some faceless enemy who strikes without warning? Some unforeseen accident or disaster? No! If we belong to Christ, our security doesn't consist in guns or planes or body armor or gas masks; nor does it require us to live as hermits cut off from the outside world. If we fear God, he promises that his angel camps around us. If we fear and reverence him, we need never fear the world.

Have you ever watched a mother hen with her chicks? Have you seen how she calls her little ones to her at any hint of danger? They rush to huddle together beneath the protective cover of her wings, where they feel safe. That's the image that David is presenting. When we rest and abide in the Lord, no matter where we are, and no matter what's going on around us, we're under the shadow of his wings. That's the whole basis of this newsletter ministry.

One of my friends sent me an email message yesterday. He said the Lord had moved him very specifically and very urgently to pray for me. I never assume that because something didn't happen, something wouldn't or couldn't have happened. The Lord has saved me from physical harm many times, from possible drowning to automobile accidents to deranged criminals. What I don't know is how many times he saved me from things I didn't even know about. Take some time this week to thank God for all the times he kept you from harm, whether you knew it or not. Take some time, too, every day, to thank him for watching over you, and to ask him to keep those you love or care about under his care. Remember -- there are angels encamped among us.

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JESUS IS the Bridge Ministries

Beneath His Wings Devotionals - Vol. 2