Are angels watching over us?

 

"God only knows the times my life was threatened just today.

A reckless car ran out of gas before it ran my way.

Near misses all around me, accidents unknown,

Though I never see with human eyes the hands that lead me home.

But I know they're all around me all day and through the night.

When the enemy is closing in, I know sometimes they fight

To keep my fight from falling, I'll never turn away.

- Amy Grant - Angels Watching Over Me

Jamaicans everywhere are now breathing sighs of relief as the country avoided what could have been a major disaster in Hurricane Matthew.

Christians especially are crediting this act of mercy to their ardent prayers and 'angels of love' for interceding and turning Hurricane Matthew away.

Angelic interventions have long been associated with many believers being saved from a fate worse than death.

Biblical references are made about angels such as Michael and Gabriel and of angels being sent to rescue Peter from prison.

In today's world, the question is being asked: are there 'guardian angels' still at work?

Many believers have made claims of supernatural experiences, where the intervention of angels saved their lives or revealed secrets to them.

But some believers are modern-day Thomases, and if they have no experience, then it is hard for them to stretch their imaginations to embrace the belief that angels are at work in our lives.

Family and Religion sought answers from the Reverend Frederica Berbick of Touching Your World Ministry and Minister Valrie Campbell James of Church of God of Prophecy, Free Town, who shared the opinion that angels are still active.

For Berbick, Psalms 91:11 says it all: "For He shall give His angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways."

"In other words, the angel of the Lord is with His children wherever they go to give them direction in all aspects," she pointed out.

Citing other biblical examples, Berbick said God's angels "encamp" around those who fear Him, ready to offer protection.

"Those who put their trust in the Lord always are protected by His ministering spirit. The angels are ministering spirits. they minister to our needs," she said.

For Berbick, in this dispensation, we have encounters with angels in the spirit realm and not in the physical.

"In the Old Covenant, the Holy Spirit wasn't poured out. Today, the Holy Spirit is poured out on all people (Acts 2: 17). In this dispensation, we have dreams and visions of angels. The angels waited on God's people to call the name of Jesus to dispatch them to carry out their duties. We must live holy lives for the Lord to use us," she said.

Referring to human beings being angels by performing angelic duties in helping others, she said God uses us (humans) as ministers to each other through the leading of the Holy Spirit, but only angels can carry out their duties at God's appointment as ministering spirits.

James expressed confidence that God's people are assigned a special angel.

"There are angels for different assignments - some for protection, others for healing and comfort," she said.

"You may not be able to see them in the physical sense, but you can see their work in your lives."