Yahweh our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the land
You have set your splendor above the skies
From the mouth of infants and nursing babies, you have established a stronghold
Because of your adversaries, to stop the enemy and the avenger
Psalm 8:1-2
I don’t know about you, but I was a violent child. Even though I grew up with two brothers, they weren’t the object of my aggression. No, fed a steady diet of action movies and fantasy storybooks, we were the three musketeers, the super heroes, knights of the round table. It was us against the fictional world, daily tackling imaginary evils and enemies before bedtime. But the truth is that the moment I saw anything actually scary, I was bound to run for cover. Monsters in the shadows? I hid. Imaginary intruders at night? I had nightmares. Spiders? I ran screaming (and still do). As much as I pretended to save the world, the truth is that I was pretty helpless.
Psalm 8 is a masterful retelling of the upside-down kingdom. The God of all creation, whose majesty is painted across the skies and engraved upon the earth, bends low to listen to the “mouth[s] of infants and nursing babes.” In fact, verses 3-6 compare the skies, moon and stars—the rulers of the heavenly realms, mighty and powerful, marking our days and the passage of time—with humans, scooped out of the dirt of the ground. “What is human that you remember him?” And not just humans, but according to this Psalm, it’s the youngest, weakest and frailest of mankind whose mouths establish a stronghold against the enemy.
So I wasn’t wrong. In all of my childish bravado, the truth is that God loves loves the little and lowly. In the humblest of places he builds strongholds—or castles, fortresses—to halt evil in its tracks. This encourages me today because it means I don’t have to be eloquent or have it all together to praise him. My worship can be as innocent and unformed as a baby’s babbles, and still it can be an instrument of heavenly warfare. It’s not about having the magic words or perfect speech—even the Prodigal Son never got to share his rehearsed repentance to the Father, even the Spirit knows to pray with groanings too deep for words (see Romans 8:26). So today, as you pray, as you worship, you can bring your raw praise to him, knowing that this is what pleases his heart best—and strengthens your own, no matter what you may face.
Pastor Amy Perez
Father, I lay aside my rehearsed phrases and well-practiced prayers. Here I am, the real me. The one you love. I lay down any performance or pretense. You know me better than I even know myself, so today I bring you my true heart and my honest praise, surrendering all of me to all of you. Amen.
