by Laura Courtney
This begins our final four weeks looking at the characteristics of love from 1 Corinthians 13 and are the “always” promises: “[Love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” (I Corinthians 13:7)
For me, this is perhaps one of my most favorite visualizations of God: our Protector. I have always loved the imagery and idea of Christ and the angles fighting for me, fighting again the evil that seeks to overcome, and fighting in perfect strength and righteousness.
One of my favorite worship songs talks about this very concept:
“I know who goes before me,
I know who stands behind
The God of angel armies,
Is always by my side”
(Chris Thomlin, “Whom Shall I Fear”)
And then another, less traditional song speaks similarly:
“From the armories, the angels sing
You will see them end this suffering
From the armories, the angels sing
You will fear them when they lift their wings”
(Oh Sleeper, “The Finisher”)
And of course scripture itself is filled with this illustration:
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. (Psalms 91:11)
The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. (Psalm 34:7)
“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.” (Exodus 23:20)
And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. (2 Kings 6:17)
How amazing is it to think that we have an army of divine and angelic protection around us; fighting for us and guarding us from the darkness that seeks to overcome this world.
How much more courage would we have if, like Elisha, our eyes were opened to the power that walks with us daily? How much more willing would we be to step out in faith and into what God has called us if we looked and saw an entire army following us wherever we go?
While we may not see celestial beings around us everywhere we walk, we can take courage that we do not walk alone no matter where we are or what we face. Christ walks with us and the Holy Spirit dwells within us. This does not mean that we will have a clear path with no obstacles; but it does grant us the peace to know that we can get press on when we feel stuck, get back up when we fall down, and turn around when we take the wrong road. Because Love is always with us to guard us and protect us if we are willing to open our eyes and our hearts to be directed in where we go.
