Many artists depict guardian angels as chubby childlike cherubs. Often they are hovering over an unsuspecting youth. The idea portrayed is that they are always present as our invisible, celestial bodyguards. We are told that God has appointed his angels over us to keep us concerning harmful situations (Psalm 91:10-12). We imagine that these supernatural assistants are averting car collisions by nudging vehicles in safer directions. Perhaps the rock that was thrown by your neighbor’s lawnmower was redirected by an angel’s intervention to avoid striking your eye. Maybe you never contracted an illness because God’s angels prevented you from coming in contact with the disease. Most likely, this is what is occurring for the disciples as they are dispatched by the Lord for a special ministry. They are not only promised safety over venomous creatures but are shielded from Satan and his minions (Luke 10:19).
Do we each have our own guardian angel? There is nothing in the Bible that suggests that we are limited to just one each. At times, a squad of angels may have been involved in a mission of protection for you. Only God is everywhere all at once [omnipresent], but angels are able to move at a speed that boggles our imaginations (Ezekiel 1:14). You can be sure that they will be on the scene in plenty of time.
However, Jesus taught that children’s “angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 18:10b). Little ones have assigned angels that have a continual presence in the throne room of heaven. If a person was granted access to the presence of the king, it was deemed a mark of special favor (1Kings 10:8; Esther 1:14) and a safety measure for his protection. God has created an intricate system with his angelic assistants for the purpose of our protection. As I look at my precious, newborn grandson, I am overjoyed for the special divine surveillance that he is under.
We should never be cavalier or presumptuous in our actions because of our divine protection. Satan failed to tempt Jesus in this manner (Matthew 4:6). We should walk by faith which means having the confidence to do what we should do.
There are those incidents we have each pondered concerning the possible involvement of angels, but there must be so many more that never cross our minds. When we enter heaven, perhaps other angel-aided situations will be revealed to us.
It is easy to get excited about angels and how they help us, but shouldn’t we be more excited about our Heavenly Father who appoints them on our behalf. What a wonderful God we have!
