Humble Praise, Faithful Presence, and Holding On
Somewhere in my early twenties, Michael W. Smith wrote a worship song that became popular. The song opened with the first part of verse 1 of Psalm 8:
“O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!”
The song continued by singing that line again before continuing with this phrase: “O Lord, we praise your name. O Lord, we magnify your name. Prince of peace, mighty God, Oh Lord God almighty.”
For more than 40 years now, that song comes to my mind almost every time I take a walk in nature or step onto my deck at night and see the stars in the sky. Psalm 8 reminds us of the glory of the heavens and all of creation. Unfortunately, we may be guilty of limiting this psalm just to the glory of creation when it informs us of so much more.
Verse 2 reads, “Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.”
According to David there is strength to topple foes simply from the most simplistic praise of an infant’s babbling. I don’t know many babies who can articulate any of the words of scripture. But according to David, these little ones who bear the image of God himself somehow coo and make sounds of praise that God hears and honors.
We don’t have to think very hard to connect this thought to the teachings of Jesus when he said, “Don’t hinder the little ones from coming to me.” In Matthew 21, after Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey as the streets were lined with both young and old shouting “Hosanna,” he entered the temple and healed a blind man. The chief priests and scribes, having seen the miracle, heard children crying out, “Hosanna to the Son of David.”
Matthew tells us that the priests were indignant at what they heard, and Jesus responded, “Yes; have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise?’” Jesus confirmed that beauty and the power of praise.
We mustn’t forget that not long before Palm Sunday, the disciples asked Jesus about greatness. You remember his response?
“And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, ‘Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.’”
And all of this ties to verse 6 in this psalm. David declares that God has given man dominion over the earth. Sadly, some Christians associate this dominion with Christians taking power over others. That interpretation does not fit with the teachings of Jesus, who stressed humility and service to others as the ethic from which we are to live and work.
If we want to change our culture, if we want to advance the kingdom of God, then we must practice our beliefs through humble service and through our worship.
Father, forgive us when we easily forget your teachings and get caught up in the ways and methods of the world. Use our praise and our humble service to demonstrate to the world the dominion that comes through our submission to you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Your Time with God’s Word
Psalm 8:1-9; Matthew 18:1-4, 21:14-16 ESV
Photo by Pexels
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