TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL (THURSDAY 20th August 2026)
“Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.”
“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.”
“But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:27-31 NKJV
WELCOME TO THE 232ND DAY OF OUR YEAR OF STRATEGIC VICTORIES!
Today we want to look at the subject of divine protection. There can be no strategic victory without God’s protection over our lives. Strategic victory happens when the arrows or attacks of the enemy do not reach us, but our own reach him, and divine protection is why they will not reach us.
I hope we are ready for this beautiful Bible truth.
To start with, I want us all to understand that everyone with a true relationship with the LORD is a target on the face of the earth. He or she is a target of the three gates of the enemy and other dangerous things among men. The primary reason is because of GOD’s predetermined plans and programs for their lives.
Satan also targets us because of an ancient hate he has for God and all with God’s seal upon their lives. This ancient hatred started in the eternal past and is still present today. If we are not protected by the LORD, we would be doomed both in time and eternity.
Understand that the last person who want to see GOD’s plans fulfilled is the devil and his angels. He knows that each fulfilled plan of GOD gets him closer to his final judgment and final abode than ever, hence fighting us viciously. What Satan fears most is the place of his final abode. The place of his final abode is the Lake of Fire.
EACH SUCCESSFUL PLAN OF THE LORD FOR OUR LIVES PUSHES HIM CLOSER THERE.
He will, therefore, pour all he can on people with true relationship with the LORD and a prophetic destiny to fulfill, to stop them from maximizing their relationship with the LORD and fulfilling their prophetic destiny. That is why divine protection is a necessity. You see this truth expressed from chapter to chapter all through the Holy Bible.
The Bible made it clear that if divine protection is not added to our Christian life, we may have all other things right but may not live long enough to fulfill all of GOD’s pre planned programs for our lives. It is divine protection that keeps a man or woman of destiny long enough to finish God’s will for his life.
Yes, it is divine protection that helps a Christian to live long enough to walk in ways that changes the world for Christ. Without it, mantles will be cut short, ministries will not exist, believers will be roasted by the furry of the devil and nothing about us will be safe in this accurse world.
You see that in the life of David. You see God protecting him from Saul and all his enemies, basically to enable him to unleash his divine destiny and fulfill God’s assignment for his life. His life on earth was made worth living by God’s protection over his life. The same is applicable to us all.
At one time God had to make sure he was protected when he became battle wearied and could no longer fight. The Bible records that his enemies could do him nothing even at those times. The same can be seen in the life of Paul the apostle; He went through so much that ordinarily he should have died in few months after accepting Christ.
The first year he opened his mouth to preach, the Jews stoned him to ‘death.’ But thank GOD for divine protection. He rose back on his feet and went into the same city and continued his walk with GOD.
The Bible says;
“Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead.”
“However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.” Acts 14:19-20 NKJV
WHAT WE JUST READ IN THIS SCRIPTURE WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT DIVINE PROTECTION.
It takes divine protection to be stoned and left for dead and then rise to go back into the same City you were stoned in, to continue what you were doing before the stones came. It takes divine protection to be so treated and still have the life in you to travel to another city without being admitted in the Hospital for recovery.
If GOD had not divinely protected Paul and the rest of the disciples, I do not think the gospel would have gotten to us. The dragon really tried to devour them, but God protected them. In the same way, if God does not protect us from evil, we will not be able to praise His works to the next generation.
His pre planned programs for our lives will not be fulfilled.
Understand that if there is a preplanned program that GOD wants to fulfill with your life, there will be a pre-planned protection of God for your life. Most times that program will involve the release of angels to always camp around you. Jacob had angels that built a camp around him. David had them also! You will need them if there is a will of GOD you are fulfilling in life.
Yesterday in our long-life series service, we studied about angels that God designed to save us from death. They are known by different names. One of the prominent names they are known for is “Angels of death.” The enemy also has this version of angels. But these ones belong to God, and their role is to take care of premature death and save the church of Jesus Christ and all who belong to her from all kinds of death threats.
THEY DO THAT SO THAT WE CAN STAY LONG ON THE SCENE.
Child of God, when the LORD Jesus gives you a destiny to pursue, God will assign angels to protect you. Yes, when the LORD God gives you an assignment to do for Him or with Him the Holy Ghost will be assigned to empower and run everything. Both the angels and the Holy Spirit will work together to protect you.
If you see yourself causing ripples in the camp of the enemy because you are doing a Holy Ghost empowered service in the kingdom, do not fear what may happen to you. There are angels assigned to you. There is a divine protection program running for you. God said through Isaiah;
“Do not say, ‘A conspiracy,’ concerning all that this people call a conspiracy, nor be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled. The Lord of hosts, Him you shall hallow; Let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread.”
“He will be as a sanctuary, but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, as a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem” Isaiah 8:12-14 NKJV
The same Spirit that is empowering you to do those things is also protecting you at the same time from any harm that may come from doing those things. That is why you read Jesus telling us;
“Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Luke 10:19 NKJV
If the Holy Ghost is using you to trample on serpents and scorpions, or step on toes that are destroying His work, He will make sure that nothing by any means will hurt you thereafter. The Holy Ghost will never empower a man to do a thing and then abandon Him when the repercussions come from hell.
At least I have known that for over 31 years. He is not a man that abandons his partner when the heat becomes hot! He sticks to His human partners to protect them from the backlash of the enemy, after using them to do a work for God. That is why a major highlight in our devotional text this morning says;
“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.”
“But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”
FEAR WILL CRIPPLE THE HAND OF THE LORD AND HINDER US FROM EXPERIENCING GOD’S PROTECTION OVER OUR LIVES.
But faith will launch us into the realm of glory where God’s protection exists! That is why in any battle against hell, you will sense the Holy Ghost telling you, if you are His Human Partner, “fear not, for I am with you. Do not be afraid for I am your God.”
I have heard that over and over again, especially in the forefront of any heated battle with the anti-Christ, as he fights through the preachers and other human agents, he normally uses to resist God’s word.
What is the message of our devotional this morning? The message is simple; your divine destiny will need divine protection to be unleashed. It will not need human protection except if the human protection is part of the divine protection built around you by the LORD!
Understand that, as we continue to work with the LORD, we will fight battles for the LORD. There will be raging battles from hell that will seem fatal. But we must stand and know that the LORD is on our side. We must fight fixing our hearts on His word of protection for our lives and the mandate He has given us to execute.
We must rise to do what He may have assigned to us without fear or favor! Even if it means fighting for His purpose in the midst of charging bears or roaring lions, we must be rest assured that God’s protection will keep us beyond their reach in Jesus precious name! AMEN!!
LET THIS SCRIPTURE BE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR YOU TODAY;
“Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.” Genesis 28:15 NKJV
