When I was a very young child, I remember asking my mother, “Who made all this?” I was referring to the world around me – the grass, and the trees. She told me God made it. My next question was, “Who made God?” She told me that no one made God, but He had always been.
Even as a very young child, I had sense enough to know it all came from somewhere. Mom’s word was good enough for me. God made it. Although I found it puzzling at first, I accepted the fact that God had always been. I now knew the beginning of everything.
And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them. And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?
Matthew 21:14-16
Before you can know if you have perfected praise, we need to consider the phrase “out of the mouth of babes and sucklings.” What does that mean?
Some feel it could mean first preachers of the Gospel of Christ. That could make sense. The apostles would definitely have had the closest physical contact with what Jesus was doing. I am sure they had a very clear understanding of whom Jesus really was – especially after the resurrection.
Let’s look at it another way. What about the children in this verse, and what about children in general? These children saw Jesus work miracles, but what else?
A child’s understanding of God is very simple, but it is also innocent and unpolluted.
Young children are dependent on mom and dad or their caregiver for everything. They cannot earn a living. They are not worrying about paying bills or their next meal. What they have, they are given. They are for the most part worry-free. They are not anxious for anything. They are trusting by nature.
Just as children trust their parents for everything, when they begin to trust God they trust Him for everything. They accept God’s Word as a truth. In their minds, it’s settled.
Do we as adults believe and trust in Jesus in the same way as children do? It’s a challenge. We tend to cling to our own abilities. We tend to trust in what we can do for ourselves more than we trust Jesus. The more educated we become, the more we try to stand on our own.
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
Proverbs 3:5-8
LIFE APPLICATION
Children are very trusting and humble. When they look to God, they look to Him from that perspective. When they praise God, they praise Him from that perspective.
How perfected is your praise?