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Question: I know the Bible says something about believers having “guardian angels.” But I went through a life-altering accident some years ago and have suffered with terrible pain ever since. I’m wondering why God (through my guardian angel) didn’t intervene to help me at my time of greatest need?
Answer: This is Pastor Tim from Unlocking the Bible. Pastor Colin asked me to thank you for your good question and respond to you.
I’m really sorry, Barrie. Sounds like you’ve been down a pretty rough path with your accident. That sounds awful. This is a difficult questions, one that you might ask the Lord on that day when you see him face-to-face.
One thing to mention before we get into thinking about angels:
One of the most helpful passages I’ve found for dealing with my own questions is Deuteronomy 29:29:
The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever.
I know this doesn’t answer your question, but it does remind us that there are things that God reveals to us (I’m thinking about the Bible here), and there are many things that God chooses not to reveal to us. This would include, but is not limited to the future, the reason for our suffering, the salvation of our loved ones, and the day of our death.
I encourage you to memorize and meditate on this passage.
It might be helpful to think about angels a bit together. There are a number of passages in the Bible that seem to indicate that believers have something like you suggest (a guardian angel).
For example, Psalm 34:7 says,
The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.
And Psalm 91:11 says,
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.
Here’s a helpful way of reading the Old Testament: Physical realities in the Old Testament often find their fulfillment in spiritual realities in the New.
For example, the Israelites (God’s people) were kept by God as they journeyed to the Promised Land (physical reality). In the New Testament, the church (God’s people) are kept by God as they journey to heaven (spiritual reality).
Barrie, we’ve never met, but it sounds like your faith is still intact, even after all these years of suffering. Why is that Why didn’t you walk away from the Lord when you went through this accident? Why didn’t you turn away after years of suffering?
Perhaps this is the “delivering” that the angel of the Lord has done in your life? Maybe his angels have been “guarding” your heart against unbelief all this time?
I don’t know. But I do know this: God’s primary aim in the life of his children is not our convenience and comfort.
I believe that God could have sent an angel to prevent you from this accident. But, I believe, this is a clue:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that…
Barrie, I want you to try and fill in the rest. Why did God choose you and bless you? Do you have an answer?
Okay, here’s the reason the apostle Paul gives:
…that we should be holy and blameless before him. (Ephesians 1:3-4).
God’s great purpose for your life and mine is that we should be happy and that we should become more like Christ. God seems to work in my life (through trials) to make me more like Christ and to make me more happy in him. Maybe our trials are not merely interruptions, but the actual places where God is most at work in our lives?
I hope and pray that the Spirit of God deeply encourages you as you consider God’s Word,
Pastor Tim
Tim Augustyn
Pastor of Ministry Resources
Tim serves as the resident pastor, writer, and editor of Open the Bible. He was born and raised in northern Wisconsin, came to faith in his 20's while working in the business world, and received a Master's in Divinity from Trinity International University. He is author of the children’s book Man on the Run, and co-author of The One Year Unlocking the Bible Devotional with Colin Smith. Tim lives in Arlington Heights, IL with his wife Janna, and they have four grown children.
