When I’m a college freshman, my pastor asks me to help counsel for a summer week at church camp.  Only problem is that I’ve never camped out before in my life.  Have little idea what it’s all about.  So I gingerly go out into the wilderness toting a mussed up suitcase containing my clothes and Bible.  Can you imagine?  A suitcase dragged into the forest primeval!  Well, I didn’t volunteer and their vetting process proves rather bogus!

About the only thing I remember, apart from being a pathetic and pitiful counselor, is an old campfire song.  ‘All night, all day, angels watching over me, my Lord.  All night, all day, angels watching over me.’

Twice in Daniel 4 (vs. 13, 17) ‘watchers’ are mentioned.  Wakeful ones, heavenly and holy ones, who keep constant vigil.  When life advertises how puny we are, how insignificant and unloved, it’s then we need to know something.  What?  That God has angels watching over us.  And He cares.

Watchers–all night, all day.  Angels watching over us.  The word ‘angel’ is the same as ‘messenger’.  The messenger’s source is our Lord.  He’s keeping an eye out for you and me.  Keeping tabs on everything.  Checking out troubles before they happen.  Helping us when facing fear and failure.  Like Daniel’s three friends (Dan. 3: 8ff), I’d rather be with Jesus in the fire, than outside without Him.  You too?

Daniel interprets the king’s scary dreams, reassuring the royal mind (Dan. 4).  Remember that in Christ we’re royalty–‘But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession…Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people’ (1 Peter 2: 9-10).

May seem like we’ve been abandoned in life.  No one giving a flying fig.  All alone on our own.  Not so.  The Lord has watchers all over.  We’re never out of their reach or sight.  Just like the old campfire song sings– ‘All night, all day, angels watching over me…’

Even a novice camper toting a bedraggled suitcase!

Thank you, Jesus, for never letting us out of your sight.  Amen.