Out of the Mouths of Babes

11/27/98

“Out of the Mouths of Babes”



The other day, I was walking through the house and noticed Maggie, my seven year old, singing the tune of one of our favorite hymns from my church. Normally, I would not have had time to notice but on the mission field with no T.V. and not too many other distractions, one can become more in tune to the every day things that go on around him.

Well, I heard Maggie singing, ”He is exhausted, the King is exhausted on high I will praise Him. He is exhausted the King is exhausted on high I will praise his name, He is the Lord…,”

I laughed at first and then corrected her and said, “No Maggie, it’s not exhausted, it is exalted”, the King is Exalted!" Then I explained what exalted meant, as best I could, so that a 7 year old would understand as best she could.

As Maggie walked away, I begin to think more about it. I thought, “What if our King was exhausted? What if he was absolutely worn out?” We’ve all hit rock bottom before. And it doesn’t only happen to parents! It happens to us all. It happens to kids with problems at home. It happens to students. It happens to coworkers and neighbors. Rich and poor. The pretty and the not so pretty. We get to a point, where, if we didn’t find a place to sit down or lay down… we were going to fall down. It may be we are physically, mentally or spiritually worn out, but when it hits there has to be a “crash site”.

When I thought about this more, my mind instantly went to a scene. I could picture an old king, in a massive dusty office, slouching in a huge chair. He is surrounded by mountains of paperwork that hadn’t been looked at in months. He looks as if he hasn’t left the room in days. Around him are all the knobs that must be turned at just the right time and all the gadgets that it takes to control the planets and stars hanging in balance and the rotation of each. His dimly lit control panel makes those of the Apollo projects look like something out a Cracker Jack box.

Some of the special assistant cherubs are rubbing the shoulders of the exhausted king of the universe while looking nervously at the blinking lights and the uncontrolled knobs. “Maybe another good hot pot of coffee for the king could be just what he needs to get a jump start” the angel in charge of the kitchen thinks. Other ancient helpers, who have helped the king since the beginning of time, are answering personal calls and making the proper apologies. And some are even answering the latest e-mails and making very believable excuses for their exhausted leader. “No, no don’t worry, the king is aware of the Pluto problem and is working on it even as we speak, yes have a nice century”. Another call, “Yes we have seen the movie and there is absolutely no need to worry about that meteor stuff. O.K. thanks for your call. Yes I’ll tell him you called.”

This king, like many other rulers of our time, would not carry very much clout with his helpers. Eventually, he wouldn’t carry very much clout with his followers either because word would trickle down that he was merely a puppet. It would be said that he is no longer capable of making small decisions much less long term universal plans. And what about that stuff about knowing when a sparrow falls and the number of the very hairs on our heads. We would begin to act as if our king was the exhausted king not the Exalted One.

It would become easier and easier to slip a little every now and then and mess up on one of the rules that the Exalted One had written eons before to help his followers lead happier lives. Outside influence would invade a once happier environment as more and more it became apparent that the once Exalted One had become the now well known and slipping more every day, exhausted one.

But, I have great news. Our Exalted King is still in control. Sometimes we act as though he is the exhausted one and we tend to be like kids caught with our hands in the cookie jar. “Surely he is too busy to care what we are up too”, we think. When lights go out and doors get shut many of us tend too believe in the exhausted one. But what about when a job is on the line, or a house is up for sale, or a dear child is seriously sick, then who. Which king do we want then?

Of course we want the Exalted King. In Job 38 and 39 the King, that I want over me, speaks: “Who is it that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man and I will question you, and you shall answer me. Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundations? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what are it’s footings set, or who laid it’s cornerstone while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown dawn it’s place?” Gulp! Wow!

Even though an exhausted king may look attractive at times. And, even though I would like to think I could find satisfaction if only for a while in not following those commands given by my creator. I want to have the King described in the last part of Job looking over me. I want him in my corner. My hearts desire is to be on his team. Psalms 118:28 says, “ You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God and I will exalt you.”




Wick Jackson