God’s divine hand of protection

For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. (Psalm 91: 11-12)

I’m a firm believer in guardian angels, and this week served to validate that assertion further. 

Seven minutes before I clocked out for the end of my day on Thursday, I received a message from my brother that shocked me out of work-mode. “I just totaled my car,” his text read. More importantly, he continued, “I’m ok.” 

How easily that message could have been different. How quickly our lives can change forever. A few seconds’ difference, a distracted driver, more hazardous conditions, a wrong decision in judgment, slower reactions – anything could have changed the outcome of that text concerning my brother’s safety. Thank God He is safe. Thank God He and the other driver could walk away, completely unscathed. 

None of those realities are lost on me. A car can be replaced. People can’t. 

In the past five months, I’ve had quite a few reminders of life’s frailty. My best friend went home to heaven, another friend was diagnosed with cancer, many of my co-workers were laid off of their jobs, my dear friend fell and broke her hip, and my brother was in a car accident. My new mealtime prayer is, “Thank you, Jesus, for my blessings – this food, my family, my job, my health, my home, our safety, and your love. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” 

One blessing I readily take for granted is the miracle of God’s protection while I am driving. Think about it. We load ourselves into a device that could easily be considered a deadly weapon and trust that everyone around us will obey the traffic laws, keep an eye out for hazards, concentrate on the road, and make sound decisions in how they operate their dangerous equipment. 

The Georgia Department of Transportation reports the following sobering statistics: 

• 70% of all crash fatalities are caused by unsafe driving behaviors, including distractions, impairment, or driving too fast for conditions.
• There were 1,463 roadway fatalities in Georgia in 2019 – an average of four deaths a day. Already in 2020, 103 highway deaths were reported in my state. (1)

God protects us. How often we forget that. With the myriad of potential hazards that could affect us each day, most of us are blessed to say that our lives consistently remain healthy, safe, and pain-free. When was the last time we stopped to give thanks for such blessings? How quick we are to become complacent to such protection.

But hear me out. Just because God can protect us doesn’t mean that He always will. We, as Christians, are not immune to the heartaches, rejection, pain, and tragedies that life brings. Quite the opposite. God often uses challenges to bring us closer to His side – to mold and shape us into the persons He wants us to be.

People who know what it is to be broken can better help broken people. Those who’ve been hurt can more readily understand those who are hurting. We, who know how God stood with us through our trials and helped us out of our pits, are better equipped to help others through their own downfalls. Who better to throw a lifeline than one who was trained through the fire to do so?

Yes. God can protect us – and I am ever so grateful when He does.

But I am prepared to trust His will, whether He protects me or my loved ones or not.

As today’s scripture notes, “ He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways” (Psalm 91:11). I have no doubt that my brother was protected by guardian angels this past week. His car serves as evidence of a divine hand of protection over his life, and I am incredibly grateful for that. I cherish my brother and can’t imagine him not being here. He is a precious part of our family and brings infinite love and joy to all of us. 

Thanks to God, I have countless more days to laugh, confer, share, confide, and rejoice with my brother. I thank the Lord for such an incredible blessing! 

Tomorrow isn’t promised. Our safety and that of our loved ones is an unfathomable gift that we daily receive. May we never forget to thank our celestial Father for His sacred preservation of our humble lives.

Each day that I and my loved loved ones are safe, healthy, and pain-free is a blessing. I thank my God for His divine hand of protection – today and every day He grants it.

And I will thank Him tomorrow if He chooses otherwise for my life. The God I serve is a good, good Father and I trust His will over my humble existence.