Psalm 91:11 - Angel Care.

Psa.91:11: Angel Care.

Psa 91:11 (KJV)  For he shall give his angels charge over thee,
to keep thee in all thy ways.

Psa 91:11 (CWB)  He will send His angels to take charge and
protect you as you walk in His ways.

INTRODUCTION & OVERVIEW

This psalm appears to be a composite of a wisdom poem (vv. 1-13)
and a divine oracle (vv. 14-16). It speaks of the security that the
Messiah and His followers may find in God. [Passages Of Life SB]

Resting in God's Shadow - Psalms 90-97
Overview: The psalmist knew a God of incomparable greatness, a
God of eternity (90), security (91), righteousness (92), sovereignty
(93), and vengeance (94). Surely he is worthy of worship (95) and
exaltation (96), for he is far above all other so-called gods (97). [Daily
Walk Bible]

A Reason for Singing - Psalms 90-97: Heart of the Passage: Psalm
95
Overview: Though the authors of most of the psalms you read
today are unknown, the Object of their worship is well known: the God
of eternity (90), the God of protection (91), the God of greatness
(92), the God of majesty (93), the God of vengeance (94), the God of
salvation (95), the God of glory (96), and the God of holiness (97). [Your
Daily Walk SB]

COMMENTARY: ANGELS FOR BELIEVERS

This passage certainly suggests that every child of God is under
the watchful eye of the angelic host. According to Scripture, one of
the functions of angels is to minister to the needs of believers
(cf. Heb. 1:14). [Believer's SB]

These verses indicate that God has assigned angels to protect
His children. Thus, nothing will befall us that is not part of His
eternal plan. [Passages Of Life SB]

The man of faith is assured that God will send guardian angels
to protect him from plagues and stumbling. (The Wycliffe Bible
Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1962 by Moody Press)

We will escape danger because God protects us as his chosen
ones. Sometimes his protection will come in the form of angels given
the responsibility of caring for us and keeping us safe (see Matthew
4:6). Sometimes God may use other, more natural means, but his help
will come. As we cry out to him for help, he will be with us in our
troubles and rescue us. Ultimately, he will bring us into his eternal
presence forever. [Life Recovery SB]

COMMENTARY: ANGELS FOR ALL MANKIND

According to the Talmud, every man has two ministering angels
beside him during his entire life. (The Wycliffe Bible Commentary,
Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1962 by Moody Press)

A silent witness guards every soul that lives, seeking to draw
that soul to Christ. As long as there is hope, until men resist the
Holy Spirit to their eternal ruin, they are guarded by heavenly
intelligences. Let us all bear in mind that in every assembly of the saints
below are angels of God, listening to the testimonies, songs, and
prayers. Let us remember that our praises are supplemented by the choirs
of the angelic host above.  6T366,7

Angels of glory that do always behold the face of the Father in
heaven, joy in ministering to His little ones. Angels are ever present
where they are most needed, with those who have the hardest battles
with self to fight, and whose surroundings are the most discouraging.
Weak and trembling souls who have many objectionable traits of
character are their special charge. That which selfish hearts would regard
as humiliating service, ministering to those who are wretched and
in every way inferior in character, is the work of the pure,
sinless beings from the courts above.  MH105

COMMENTARY: ANGEL PROTECTION EXCEPTIONS

The path of duty is the way of safety. Thou canst not reasonably
expect protection if thou walk not in the way of obedience. Thy ways
are the paths of duty, which God's word and providence have marked
out for thee. The way of sin is not thy way - thy duty, thy
interest. Keep in thy own ways, not in those of sin, Satan, the world, and
the flesh; and God will take care of thee. (Adam Clarke's
Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1996 by Biblesoft)

COMMENTARY: ANGEL SAFETY IN SUFFERING

In life the Lord may permit many terrible things to happen to
his children (cf. Job), as he did to his own Son, our Lord. But his
children know that no power is out of God's control. They trust their
heavenly Father, while they act responsibly. [Expositors Bible
Commentary]

Jesus' own experience in Pilate's court, Gethsemane, and on
Golgotha shows that God's faithful people suffer physical harm and pain.
In all suffering and trouble we can turn to God, experience His
presence, and feel the spiritual security He gives. Our problems never
outnumber God's resources. [Disciple SB]

EXAMPLES: BIBLICAL

Laying hands upon Jesus, they thrust Him from the synagogue, and
out of the city. All seemed eager for His destruction. They hurried
Him to the brow of a precipice, intending to cast Him down headlong.
Shouts and maledictions filled the air. Some were casting stones at
Him, when suddenly He disappeared from among them. The heavenly
messengers who had been by His side in the synagogue were with Him in the
midst of that maddened throng. They shut Him in from His enemies, and
conducted Him to a place of safety.
So angels protected Lot, and led him out safely from the midst
of Sodom. So they protected Elisha in the little mountain city.
When the encircling hills were filled with the horses and chariots of
the king of Syria, and the great host of his armed men, Elisha
beheld the nearer hill slopes covered with the armies of God,--horses
and chariots of fire round about the servant of the Lord.
So, in all ages, angels have been near to Christ's faithful
followers. The vast confederacy of evil is arrayed against all who would
overcome; but Christ would have us look to the things which are not seen,
to the armies of heaven encamped about all who love God, to deliver
them. From what dangers, seen and unseen, we have been preserved
through the interposition of the angels, we shall never know, until in
the light of eternity we see the providences of God. Then we shall
know that the whole family of heaven was interested in the family
here below, and that messengers from the throne of God attended our
steps from day to day.  DA240

EXAMPLES; MODERN

Chased By 5 Tons Of Watermelons
For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in
all thy ways. Psalm 91:11.
It is 4:00 A.M. and dark, when Mark, his father, and three boys
leave the farm with five tons of watermelons. His father drives ahead,
and Mark is driving the truck. The three boys are asleep in the
front seat. Before leaving, Mark's family had knelt to ask for the
Lord's watch care and protection over them.
The route includes a long slope where one highway dead-ends into
another. Mark is driving at a safe speed down the slope when his father's
brake lights flash. But when Mark applies his brakes, a cold
realization hits him-he has no brakes! There is no time to pray now, only
time to trust. Straight ahead is a dirt bank; to hit it anytime would
be bad enough, but with five tons of watermelons behind the four
young men, they will be crushed. Mark must attempt the turn. His speed
is too great, and he can't possibly make it; but he must try. Mark
carefully pulls the steering wheel to the left, but the truck with its
heavy cargo wants to go straight. Somehow, the truck begins to turn;
the tension on the tires is so great that grooves are gouged in the
pavement by the rims. Mark knows that the truck is going to roll over if
he keeps on trying to turn, and five tons of watermelons will be on
top of him and his three young friends. Suddenly, he notes the bank
is somewhat lower ahead. Perhaps he can make it. Mark straightens
the wheel, and the truck rockets up the bank, leaving the ground as
it catapults into the field beyond.
As the truck lands upright the boys awaken and ask, "What
happened?" Mark is still at the wheel, and the truck is still moving across
the field, where it finally comes to a stop. In the process, three
watermelons were lost and a few more were broken when the truck hit the
ground-that's all.
No one knew until daylight that if Mark had held on to the turn
for a fraction of a second longer, the truck would have landed in a
canyon instead of the soft field. The angels were busy for a few
seconds, don't you think? Mark thinks so! [Glimpses Of God's Love by J &
P Tucker]

APPLICATION

This prayer functioned as a blessing by a Temple priest for
worshipers seeking God's help.... Such intercession provides comfort and
hope. [Disciple SB]

The main theme of at least a dozen psalms is trusting God for
all that we need. Consider the example of actor Jimmy Stewart, who
left show business at the peak of his Hollywood career to join the
army during World War 11. The night before Stewart left America to
serve as a combat pilot in Europe, his father came to visit. Both
father and son were deeply distressed about the future. Stewart's
father knew this might be the last time he would ever see his son
alive. After they embraced, the father slipped a handwritten note into
Jimmy Stewart's palm. When his father left, the actor opened the note.
His father had written sections of Psalm 91: "Surely He shall
deliver you from the snare of the fowler.... He shall cover you with his
feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be
your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by
night, nor of the arrow that flies by day .... A thousand may fall at
your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come
near you." That psalm emphasizing trust in God for safety was
meaningful and comforting to both the father and the young man. Victor M.
Parachin [Passages Of Life SB]

RELATED THOUGHTS

Angels are not visible, except on special occasions (Numbers
22:31; Luke 2:9). [Life Application SB]

When Satan quoted the promise, "He shall give His angels charge
over Thee," he omitted the words, "to keep Thee in all Thy ways;"
that is, in all the ways of God's choosing. DA125

OTHER THOUGHTS

Transport yourself mentally from the place where you are sitting
to a distant and sultry desert. The sun is your fiercest foe, and a
shady spot your most desired friend. But as far as the eye can see,
there are no trees ... no caves ... no shady places of refuge. Then
suddenly you remember a secret place - a haven that the casual eye might
miss. And there, protected from the heat, you find shade and shelter.
God's love is like that. A haven ... a refuge ... a shady spot
in the noonday afflictions of life. Perhaps that's just the "breath
of fresh air" you need today to persevere in your service for him.
If so, then "take five" in the shadow of the Almighty (91:1-2) as
you look for and circle the six "I will's" that God has promised in
verses 14-16 for those he loves. Be refreshed in his presence today!
[Daily Walk Bible]