*Living Word Devotional* _By Pastor Mensa Otabil_ Tuesday 17th June 2025 *THE LORD ORDAINS STRENGTH* *Scripture Reading:* Psalm 8 > _Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, Because of Your enemies, That You may silence the enemy and the avenger. *Psalm 8:2*_ If David wrote this Psalm after defeating Goliath, this verse shows us how he saw himself and the Philistine champion. David saw himself as a ‘babe’ and a ‘nursing infant’. Babies and nursing infants are not mature enough to speak clearly. They are weak and unable to walk by themselves, much less to fight an accomplished warrior. - *God ordains strength out of babies.* God is so powerful that He uses powerless people to demonstrate His power. He uses the weak things that are surrendered to Him, to showcase His power. The Lord is perfect and does not need to use people who already feel accomplished in themselves. David recognized that he was a ‘nursing infant’ whom God had raised to bring down a boastful giant. He knew that his victory over Goliath was the Lord’s victory. God used an untested teenager to take out a battle-tested champion. - *God silences those who speak boastfully.* Goliath presented himself before Israel for forty days. Each day, he came out of the Philistine camp and roared against God’s people. For forty days, Goliath spoke arrogantly and defied God and the armies of Israel. He challenged Israel to elect one person to fight him. At the height of Goliath’s hubris, God inspired a young shepherd boy to stand for the name of the Lord. With simple weapons, David shut up Goliath’s mouth. God used the mouth of a ‘babe’ to shut the mouth of a roaring colossus. Our God uses the words of the weak to silence the powerful. *Prayer:* _Heavenly Father, you do mighty things through feeble vessels. Take my life and use it for your glory. In Jesus’ name, *Amen.*_