And Jesus said to them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings You have perfected praise? – Matthew 21:16

   One of the pastors I know was leading worship at his small rural church in New England. It wasn’t going very well; the praise was not flowing as it usually did. There was no spontaneity, no joy.
     Then he heard the Still Small Voice of the Lord whisper, “Let your daughter lead the worship.”
     The pastor was startled by the request, but he obeyed and handed the microphone to his little eight year old girl.
     She began to sing to the Lord and the dry, crusty leaves of adult reserve were swiftly washed away and the worship began to flow through the sound of that child’s voice worshipping her Abba, Daddy.
     Jesus said, “Unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven." – Matthew 18:3, 19:14.
     David said, “Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child – Psalm 131:2.
     In Revelation 3:7, Jesus says that He has the key of David. Is that key the relationship of a dependant child with a loving Father? In the garden of Gethsemane Jesus cried out to His Father, calling Him “Abba,” which is the Hebrew equivalent to “Daddy.”
     When the disciples tried to keep the children away from Him, Jesus rebuked them, and then they watched, I assume, with something akin to envy as a child snuggled down into the throne of Jesus’ lap.
     Jesus is illustrating for them and us what it takes to have an intimate relationship with God.
     Praise flows from the mouths of babes and sucklings. A sucking child obviously cannot sing as yet, but this word is used to describe the one who is gaining sustenance directly from the source of his life.
     The disciple John leaned on Jesus’ breast, (John 13:25) indicating that he too, had come to that dependant place of rest and sustenance upon His Lord and Savior.
     We must never be hesitant to approach God as little children, then praise will flow naturally from the loving union of Parent and child.

Copyright 2010 by H. D. Shively