READ: PETER 2:2-3
'...like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.'
Have you ever watched an infant take a feeding? Hungry little ones clutch the bottle, smack their lips and make soft contented noises. They thoroughly enjoy their nourishment. But there comes a time when milk isn't enough to satiate baby's appetite anymore. That's where a whole world of culinary possibilities pop up.
Comparing new believers to babies, Peter said that they "long for the pure milk of the word" (v.2) You wouldn't feed a newborn a steak and spinach, would you? Well, baby Christians must sip scriptural truths that they understand. Then, like a growing child, they shoot up as they feast on Bible passages, gradually taking in more and meatier principles and topics.
Believers aren't left alone to make sense of Scripture any more than babies and young children are expected to get their own meals. The Holy Spirit, who indwells followers, illuminates the Word. That is, He makes the meaning clear to those who seek to understand. Moreover, according to Ephesians 4:11-16, God has given gifted Christians to the church to act as pastors and teachers. They are charged with equipping the saints for service (v.12) These leaders instruct, clarify, and motivate people to grow in their personal faith and to fulfill the church's purpose of reaching the lost.
God's Word is a feast for our heart, mind, and spirit. This is one banquet table where there is no such thing as taking too much. In fact, the advice many parents give their children at the dinner table applies to the Christian life s well: "Eat up! Scriptural food makes you grow strong."
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from Intouch Magazine, June 2011 issue
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