I Chronicles 16:22
“Do not touch My anointed ones, and do not harm My prophets.”
Reading about this was fascinating. It was with Abraham and Isaac. They both had the same situations. Apparently stealing one’s wife and killing the husband was a practice. God made it clear to both kings not to touch the wife and not to harm the husband.
In a more general sense God protects His children. Psalm 91:12 says, “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.” This is where the guardian angel notion came from. I could be wrong, but I don’t think I have the same angel assigned to me for the rest of my life. It depends on which one is near at the time. That would be cool if it were so.
Jesus taught us about God helps us in temptation in the Lord’s Prayer. “lead us not into temptation”. I Corinthians 10:13 further says, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it.” Temptation is still tough. We do succumb from time to time.
God helps us with bullies. “If I walk in the midst of trouble, You preserve me from the anger of my foes; You extend Your hand, and Your right hand saves me”, (Psalm 138:7). We will still encounter them. As we pray, He gives us wisdom and protection. Jesus models how to love them by going the second mile.
Luke 4:29,30 gives an example of how Jesus was rescued. “they got up and drove Him out of the city, and brought Him to the crest of the hill on which their city had been built, so that they could throw Him down from the cliff. But He passed through their midst and went on His way.” They had control to where they dragged them out of town to the cliff, but once there He seemed to walk away right through the midst of the crowd.
I’ve told it many times, but a friend ended up rescuing me from my former boss. I could tell I was not his favorite and he had it in for me. Then a friend of mine, his boss, brought me up favorably in conversation. It shocked him and he left me alone from that time.
2 Peter 2:9 says, “if all this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.” Those of the world would mock us for saying this. They would say, “What makes you so special?” or “How can He do that?” It’s true, though.
God can do this as He is all knowing and all powerful. He plants thoughts in people’s minds. He manipulates circumstances. He does all this because He loves us.
What a blessing to know that God does this for us. It fills us with comfort and warmth to know that we are loved. Just like an earthly child is warmed by the parents love, so are we by His love.
This doesn’t mean He’s a jeanie doing everything we ask. It’s all according to His will. We can pray for what we choose. He answers according to His way.
Thank You, Lord for Your love and Your protection. You bless us so.