Out of the mouths of babes. We’ve all heard that verse before. But what does it really mean?
In Psalms 8:2, it reads, “Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.”
John Piper said it this way, “The peculiar mark of God’s majesty is not just that he stoops to listen to infants, but that he makes them the means of his triumphs. God conquers his foes through the weaknesses of the weak—the speech of babies.”
But what kind of speech are we talking about here?
Well, Jesus gives us a clue when He quotes this verse in Matthew 21. He had entered Jerusalem on a donkey to fulfill scripture. The crowds were praising Him saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Then He entered the temple and drove out the money changers and the children began shouting again, “Hosanna to the Son of David.”, and the chief priests and teachers of the law had had enough. They said, “Do you hear what these children are saying?” Jesus answered with one word, “Yes.” Then He went on to say, “Have you not read, ‘From the mouths of children and infants You have ordained praise.”
Did you see it? In a slightly different version of the Psalm, Jesus is saying that the strength established through the speech of children is ordained by their praise. Our strength comes from God which comes by praising God. Throughout the Bible, we see the praises of God’s people becoming the power that defeated their enemy.
I was visiting with Cory recently and we were talking about how he was able to have victory over a lifelong drug addiction, restore his relationships, marry his high school sweetheart who he used to get high with, regain possession of his children, get a great job and stay strong every day. His answer was profound, but it was as if it was coming from the mouth of a babe. He said, “I give God the glory and praise every minute of every day for my life and my testimony. If I don’t do that, I’m finished.”
It’s that simple and difficult at the same time. We just have to decide who or what is worthy of our praise.
