LIP-READING!

Babies lip-read. That’s what developmental psychologists say in a study to be published next week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Babies lip-read.

Scientists from Florida Atlantic University discovered that at about 6 months, during that magical phase when babbling becomes syllabic and gibberish becomes “mama” and “dada,” babies go from staring intently into speakers’ eyes to studying intently speakers’ mouths.

Babies lip-read. They’re trying to imitate the speaker in an attempt to figure out how to shape their lips to make the same sounds.

Dr. David Lewkowicz and his team studied over 150 babies of English speakers. They showed these babies videos of a woman speaking English or Spanish and monitored the babies’ gazes with a gadget on a headband. When the language was English, 4-month-olds gazed into eyes, 6-month-olds equally into eyes and at mouths, and 8- and 10-month olds mostly at mouths. The 12-month-olds shifted back to staring mostly at eyes … unless they were hearing Spanish.

When they heard the unfamiliar language, these 12-month-olds kept on studying the mouth, like their younger counterparts.  They needed the extra lip information to decipher unfamiliar sounds.

Pretty intriguing, isn’t it, that babies lip-read? They seem to know what they need to learn and how they need to learn; and they focus on what’s important—mouths. Babies lip-read.

I’m convinced what we need to do as children of God, as those who have placed their trust in Jesus Christ as our only God and Savior, is to “Read His lips!”

I have not departed

from the command of His lips;

I have treasured the words of His mouth

more than my necessary food.

Job 23:12

Indeed! Jesus affirmed that sentiment.

“Man shall not live on bread alone,

but on every word that proceeds

out of the mouth of God.”

Matthew 4:4

It is only by lip-reading God that we stand firm, steadfast, unshakeable.

As for the deeds of men,

by the word of Your lips

I have kept from the paths of the violent.

My steps have held fast to Your paths.

My feet have not slipped.

Psalm 17:4–5

Babies lip-read. The new research this week offers evidence that face-time with your baby is probably very critical for speech development, more than the latest baby DVD or phonics program. Babies lip-read. That’s how they learn to speak.

For we aren’t born with facile lips that speak well, or hearts that feel well, or minds that think well, or hands and feet that work well.

Then I said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined!

Because I am a man of unclean lips,

And I live among a people of unclean lips;

For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.”

Isaiah 6:5

Se we need to relearn our speech. By “lip-reading” God.

I shall delight in Your statutes;

I shall not forget Your word.

Psalm 119:16

And thereby our lips are trained.

“… I will give to the peoples purified lips,

That all of them may call on

the name of the LORD.”

Zephaniah 3:9

And we need to be lip-reading all our lives, not just for the first few months of life. So that we may speak as God would want us to, all our days.

Because Your lovingkindness is

better than life, My lips will praise You.

So I will bless You as long as I live;

I will lift up my hands in Your name ….

And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.

Psalm 63:3–5

Read God’s lips. Hang on to his every word!