Matthew 21:16 “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.
“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,
“‘From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise’?”

It’s significant to note that Jesus was never at a loss for words, even though He often put His opponents in that position. This response to the priests and the teachers of the Law is a beautiful example of that. However, it’s extremely interesting to me that He changes a word in His quoting Psalm 8:2. The NIV adjusts Psalm 8 to match this, but most translations of Psalm 8:4 say, “ordained strength.” Praise had to be an acceptable translation, or the priests and teachers of the Law would have called Him on it, but the implications of the two translations bears careful thought. There are various other passages that carry the feeling of praise equaling strength. Isaiah 61:3 comes to mind, which speaks of “a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” A major benefit of the Charismatic movement has been the rediscovery of the power of praise. That’s what has created such a massive shift in church music over the past few decades. Simply speaking, it makes a difference to praise God! And as Jesus makes clear here, it is God’s intention that even small children praise Him. Sometimes we relegate religion to the “experts.” That was certainly the tendency in Jesus’ day. However, God says quite the contrary. Praising Him is so easy and so natural that even the smallest children can do it! And doing so brings spiritual and emotional strength that can be had no other way.

I grew up in a very musical family and we sang together often, most often hymns, so I dearly love many of the old hymns. However, it was liberating to me, when I first encountered the Charismatic Movement 40 years ago, to discover the joy and liberty of singing simple songs of praise directly to God. The “great hymns of the faith” have a lot of good to them, but they are very seldom addressed to God. It is good to encourage and exhort one another as believers, but if we fail to sing directly to God as well, we are missing a vital cornerstone of our worship. I have sought to help people understand that, and in this church we use a mix of hymns and praise/worship songs. Because we are a bilingual congregation, the Lord has allowed me to translate a couple of hundred originally Japanese songs into English, and close to a hundred in the other direction. Sometimes they come out better in the new language that they were in the original (and not just with my translations)! I am to lead as many as will follow into the joy of praising God for who He is, because that is the path of fellowship with Him, and all the blessings that brings.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You that today is Palm Sunday, when it is so natural to praise You, and Christ Jesus Your Son. May today be a day of praise indeed, not just in this church but in every part of the Body of Christ around the world, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!