Out of the Mouth of Babes

And they said unto Him, "Do you hear what these children are saying?" "Yes," He replied; "Have you never read, 'out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise'?" Matthew 21:16 A couple of months ago, I was cooking supper (spaghetti... to be exact) and my son, Canaan (age three at that time), ran into the kitchen holding his finger. I was frantically fighting with my spaghetti, trying to keep it on low heat so it wouldn't splatter all over the stove! In a sad and tearful voice, Canaan said, "Mommy, I hurt my finger and I need for you to pray for it." With dish towel on shoulder, I looked at his finger and didn't see blood. I knew that was a good sign (all you mommies know what I mean!). I kissed the hurt finger and promised to pray for it when we ate supper (the spaghetti was still splattering!). Canaan said, "No mommy. I need for you to pray now." So, I knelt down by that sweet baby in the middle of my kitchen floor and asked God to take the hurt away and to help Canaan's finger to be well. When I said Amen, Canaan looked up at me with a big smile and said, "Mommy! My finger is better!" He then ran off to resume playing. I began to cry for what my son had just shown me. Canaan had shown me the faith that God requires of me. When I prayed and asked God to 'take care' of his finger, Canaan believed it...instantly. There were no questions, no doubt, no wondering if God would really do it. How ashamed I felt to think of all the times I had asked for God to come to me and help, but walked away in disbelief. I know that throughout the Bible, there are countless examples of faithful men and women. There are numerous commands for us to hold firm in our faith. So why do we have such a difficult time believing that God will do what He says He will do? I believe alot has to do with the fact that when we become adults, we have a set mind that keeps God in some sort of box, rather than have an on-going relationship with Him. When we need Him, we let Him out of the box. When we are done, we stuff Him back in again. Children don't have that mindset yet. They are trusting and have no problem believing in something or someone they cannot see. Our job as the adult, is to communicate to them that they can have a relationship with God; that He has a personality and a love for them that is huge. I liked the fact that when Canaan was hurting, he thought about God first. Before a band aid or a cold washcloth, he wanted to tell God. In Matthew chapter 21, a big parade is going on (Palm Sunday) to welcome Jesus into town. The Pharisees are all there, watching, doubting. The end of the story takes place in the temple where Jesus had to 'set some things straight'. The verse above comes into play when children, noisy children, come running through the temple shouting, "Hosanna! Hosanna to the son of David! Hosanna in the highest!" The Pharisees perhaps gasp and basically ask Jesus if He heard how rude those children were being! Jesus reminds the men of Psalm 8:2, which points out how important the words of children are. I know that I am thankful for the words that come from my child. Canaan is learning everyday. He is so desperate to know why and how and when, but little does he know that he is the one who teaches me how to love God purely. The point of this story is two fold. First, trusting God is more simple that we (adults) make it out to be. We base our degree of faith on the seriousness of our circumstances. I am finding out that faith is faith simply because God is God. Whatever the circumstance, I can rest that God will work it for my good. I am striving to trust that and stop my adult brain from going any farther. Second, we must listen to our children and learn from them. I praise God for children. I understood that day of the 'hurt finger' why Jesus tells us that we must become like a child to understand what He fully came to do on this earth. I hope you will pay attention to your child or children. If you don't have children, still take the time to listen to those who are around you. Because when you listen to a child, you can often hear God's voice too... Love, Corrie My prayer for today: Lord, thank you for children. Thank you for showing me how my faith is sometimes overshadowed by my adult mind. Help me to love you with all that I am and to never question who you are. Thank you for giving me Canaan to help me learn to love you all over again day after day...