“See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him. (Exodus 23:20-21 NIV)
If you want God to protect your path with an angel, you need to listen to what the angel says. Angels can be those who have gone before us. My mom passed 6 years ago this month. I have heard her words in my head so many times since she died. I understand her words more now than I did when she spoke them to me on earth. Now I understand why she constantly told me to slow down, not rush all the time. Now I understand why she told me to stop and think. Now I understand what she meant when she said, “God will get you through.” If we want angels to protect us, we need to listen to what they say.
Not only are we to listen, we aren’t to rebel. Submitting to authority in our lives can be difficult. We all want to do what we want to do. God did give us free will. Submitting is something we ALL have to do. Everyone is accountable to someone, first and foremost, God. All will stand before Him one day and be judged (2 Cor. 5:10 NIV). When He does, I hope and pray that Jesus is your defender. Accepting the need for Jesus in our lives is an act of submission. In order to not rebel, we must submit.
In order to not rebel, we must submit.
I remember the moment I asked Jesus into my heart. I was 12 years old, it was a Sunday, something in the pastor’s sermon that morning in church stirred my heart. I knew I desperately needed Jesus in my life. I ran home from our small country church, ran upstairs to my brother’s room, and crawled on top of the bunk bed. I wanted to be as close to heaven as I could be. I wanted to make sure God heard me. Then I cried out to Jesus and asked Him to live in my heart. I didn’t want to go another day without Him. I knew I needed Him desperately. That is what I did when I submitted my life to Jesus. I wasn’t in church, I didn’t say some special prayer. I just told Jesus I knew I needed Him. And I’m still doing the same thing today.
Each morning I ask Jesus to help me all over again. I now know He hears me where ever I am. I tell Him I need Him, I can’t make it through one moment without Him. Each day I submit again. If we’re going to ask for God’s protection through His angels. We need to start by listening to what they say and submitting.
Question of the Day:
What area of your life do you need to submit to Jesus today?
Further Reading: Exodus 23:14-25: NIV, Matthew 24:29-51 NIV, Psalm 30:1-12 NIV, Proverbs 7:24-27 NIV
