August 23, 2021: Claim His Promise!

“The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them” (Ps. 34:7, KJV).

I love Psalm 34:7 because you can claim it in so many situations. For example, if you’re afraid of the dark, you can declare this promise when you’re scared. I personally claim this promise every night before I go to bed.

God has protected me in so many ways. I almost died twice as a baby, and I’ve been in several accidents. One incident took place at another school that I attended. Jaydon jumped on Nehemiah and stole his lunch box. Then a bunch of bullies—Evan, Jeremiah and Rafael—started pushing Nehemiah around. I tried to keep them from hitting Nehemiah, but then they started hitting me instead! At that point, Rafael walked away, but Jeremiah started punching my ankle, and Evan was hitting me in the chest! The Lord protected me that day. After my ankle healed, all I had left was a scar.

Dear Father, help me to remember what I have learned: not to focus on the fear in this world, but on the promise in Psalm 34:7. Amen.

Joshua Montes de Oca is a fifth-grader at the Roanoke Adventist Christian School in Virginia.