MY SECURITY GUARDS

I’m definitely not publicly prominent or politically important, but I am so thankful I have security guards assigned to me!

Have you watched a televised shot of the president of the United States when he goes out in public, especially in a crowded situation? It’s interesting to watch the security guards who are assigned to his safety—if you can spot them. They are usually dressed in plain clothes and blend into the surroundings, but their eyes behind special dark glasses continually dart back and forth on the alert to spot anything out of order or anyone who might pose a danger to the president.

As Christians, we are secure in the care and protection of God's angelic messengers sent to minister to His children—no matter how old His children are. The promise of Scripture is that God sends His angels "to guard me in all my ways" (Psalm 91:11). All my ways includes everything that concerns me, every detail, problem, and decision, every ache or pain or weakness or limitation or suffering I may be going through. As I acknowledge God "in all my ways" I can be certain that He will direct my paths. (Proverbs 3:6)

Those angelic security guards don't go off duty after they’ve put in their allotted hours; they are on duty 24/7. Nor do they take coffee breaks at some heavenly “Star”bucks, fall asleep on a soft cloud, or forsake us in our latter years. We are given to understand in Scripture that a guardian angel is assigned to little children, and there is nothing to indicate that it is not a lifetime job. There is no hint that they leave their assignment when we become old enough to take care of ourselves.

On the contrary, the time may come when we are too old to take care of ourselves. We need their services even more as our years increase because, in the natural, as we chronologically advance, we are in greater danger of stumbling, slipping, and falling physically or drifting spiritually or losing our emotional balance by being assaulted by adversity, pain or suffering. We need our security guards from the time we are toddlers to the time when we are totterers. They provide us with lifelong intensive care. What a comfort to know that we are surrounded by these ultimate caring, intelligent, supernatural beings sent directly from the Father's loving heart to shield us so intimately!

Most of the time they are invisible to us. But sometimes they appear as special people God sends to care for us in illness or accident—doctors, nurses, technicians, and Hospice helpers, with their knowledge and skill who attend to the needs of our mortal bodies. They also come to us in the form of our loved ones with their tender concern and encouragement. There are providential times when these heavenly beings actually take visible human form temporarily for God’s special purpose on our behalf. At the close of our earthly lives, God dispatches angelic transport companions assigned to accompany us on our final journey to The Father's House.

We don’t know how many miles we still have left to travel or how many hills we must climb before those Heavenly Gates open to receive us and our Welcome Celebration begins. "I go to prepare a place for you," said Jesus. The precise day and time we should arrive is filled in on God’s invitation card, but that is kept from us in a sealed envelope. We only know that our mortal lives are fragile, "our times are in His hands," and His time is always perfect.

Doubtless our security guards will be given a heads up so we don’t have to worry about R.S.V.P. We just need to be living in a state of grace and be ready to meet our Bridegroom with oil in our lamps.

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