Childlike Faith

 

Judges 21; Jeremiah 35; Psalms 7–8; Acts 25

Today’s reading in Psalm 8 brings back a few precious memories. The verse that jogged them says: “Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.” (Psalm 8:2)

Jesus referred to this verse a few times. In one place He was rebuking those who didn’t ‘get it’ and then declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children.” (Matthew 11:25)

At first, I thought that pious children are rather rare, but then remembered a certain prayer meeting and thought their spiritual lives often go unseen and unheard. The church we were attending randomly divided us into groups. Each group had a few children and the children were encouraged to pray. Their prayers were simple, to the point, and were clear demonstrations that God had been showing them truth about Himself.

Too often, like the disciples, we want to shoo them away or put them with other children and leave us adults to do the work of prayer. But those children knew how to pray and unlike many adults, they prayed with deep conviction that God would hear them and answer their requests.

David knew the importance of children, but even more, he knew that God uses these little ones who seem immature without the ability to “still the enemy” — an enemy that usually attacks God’s people with lies and fear. Imagine a child speaking truth and chasing away the devil and his minions!

Yet sometimes the mouth of babes is not what God puts into play. Instead, He uses their actions to demonstrate that He made them in His image. When our daughter was about three, we went to visit my grandfather. He was blind and in a nursing home. She had never seen him before, but when we arrived, she showed compassion in a most lovely way; she walked over to him and held his hand throughout our entire visit. We were there a long time but she didn’t run off to play or explore; she stayed close, her little hand in his without fidgeting or any urging from us and without any word from grandfather. He knew she was there but didn’t speak to her at all. I’m certain he felt too much emotion to say anything.

This week, another child blessed me as he revealed the power of God to use a little child to still the enemy. His mother is terrified of storms. When lightning and thunder begin, she fearfully wants to hide. Lately, the storms are accompanied by hail and tornado warnings. Some have produced both and caused damage to crops and property. She tells of one night about 3 a.m. the thunder began. She was instantly awake, pacing the floor and filled with emotional anxiety. Her son, a three-year-old, came into the kitchen. Without a word, he took her by the hand and led her to the bedroom. He crawled in beside her, put his arm around her, and fell asleep. She said that she soon did too and it was the best sleep she’d had in weeks.

APPLY: My focus verse for today is also in the Psalms. It says to honor the Lord and be dependable, even if it costs me something. Two little children show me how: No fear or selfishness, just loving confidence in God and caring enough to patiently stand close or get out of bed, doing something kind and entirely appropriate for another person who is lost in darkness or bound in fear. This is what Jesus means when He tells me to be like a child.