蓓芬的日程表排滿一項又一項的醫療檢查，她覺得無法承受且疲憊不堪。當她聽到幾位醫生說，他們正在確認她是否罹患癌症，使她更加惶恐不安。每一天，當她尋求上帝或讀聖經時，上帝總是信實地鼓勵她，應許必與她同在，以及賜給她持久的平安。她學習勇敢面對種種的未知，將可能會發生的事交託給上帝。某天早上，蓓芬在準備接受重大手術治療之前，讀到了一節經文，深深觸動她的心，那就是出埃及記23章20節，上帝說：「我差遣使者在你前面，在路上保護你，領你到我所預備的地方去。」

上帝透過摩西向祂的子民說了這些話。上帝將祂的律法賜給百姓遵守，並帶領他們去一個新的地方（14-26節）。在這些指示當中，上帝告訴他們，祂將會差遣使者在他們前面，在路上保護他們（20節）。雖然這與蓓芬所面對的情況有些不同，卻讓她聯想到，有別的經文提到使者的保護。例如，詩篇91篇11節說：「祂要為你吩咐祂的使者，在你行的一切道路上保護你。」希伯來書1章14節告訴我們，上帝差遣天使，有如「服役的靈」來服事基督徒。

如果我們認識基督，便知道祂會差遣一位或多位使者或天使在我們四周，為我們效力。

As medical test after medical test filled up Bev’s schedule, she grew overwhelmed and weary. Doctors alarmed her when they told her they were looking for cancer somewhere in her body. Each day God faithfully encouraged her with the promises of His presence and an abiding peace when she turned to Him or read the Bible. She battled with the uncertainties and frequently learned to roll the “what ifs” onto God’s shoulders. One morning, Bev came across a verse in Exodus 23 that popped out from the page to her heart before a serious surgery: “I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way” (v. 20).

Those words were spoken by God through Moses to His people, the Israelites. He was giving His laws for His people to follow and leading them to a new land (vv. 14-26). But in the middle of those instructions, He told them He would send an angel ahead of them “to guard [them] along the way” (v. 20). Even though this wasn’t Bev’s life’s situation, she remembered that the care of angels is mentioned elsewhere in Scripture too. Psalm 91:11 says, “He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” And Hebrews 1:14 tells us God sends angels as “ministering spirits” to serve believers in Jesus.

If we know Christ, He’s got an angel or angels near us to minister to us as well.