1) Reason to Praise God: Babies! (Psalm 127)

Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is His reward. (Psalm 127:3 )

That’s right — the Lord loves babies and he wants us to love them because they are rewards for us and a showing of His fruitfulness towards us. He doesn’t want babies aborted (Ps 139:13-15) and he doesn’t want them offended either (Mt 18:6 ).

“Infants,” wrote theologian Andrew Fausset, “are not only wonderful illustrations of God’s power and skill, in their physical constitution, instincts, and early developed intelligence, but also in their spontaneous admiration of God’s works, by which they put to shame or, silence men who rail and cavil against God.”

God put our children here to add to His glory, and they  can praise Him in the most simple and beautiful ways. A simple yawn, a simple stretch, a joyous smile, can energize the most deflated parent.

In fact, God derives strength and power from babies. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. (Ps 8: 2 ) Wow… in such small vessels He produces such power.

God wants our little ones at the center of things. And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:2 ) The next thing he said sounded kinda severe: that it would be better for anyone who offends one such child to be tossed to the bottom of a river with a rock tied around their neck. But isn’t that a good thing that God has their protection in mind?

It’s good to be a baby. It’s good to have babies — and for that we should give praise to the one who designed them. Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you. (Jeremiah 1:4-5 )