1 Corinthians 3:1–2 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able,
Hebrews 5:12–14 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.
1 Peter 2:2 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,
In our next few "reasons", we are going to see some of the ways in which God's Word will work to sanctify us, in answer to the prayer of Jesus that we looked at last time.
Today's texts give us a very striking picture: that the Word of God is nourishment to our souls.
If you have ever been unwell and lost your appetite, or have undertaken a fast for any length of time, you will know how quickly your body loses strength - and you will know the gnawing, relentless pain as your body lets you know it needs food. If you have been in the company of newborn babies for a few hours, you will know that they have a very definite way of letting you know they need to be fed. Without a constant supply of food, we will most certainly die of starvation.
In our passages this week, God teaches us to translate into the spiritual realm what we already know about our physical bodies and the food we eat. We are to understand that God's Word is food for our souls. Without a constant supply of that food, our souls will not grow as they should - they will be stunted and malnourished, they will grow weak and we will have no strength or power to live the Christian life.
The texts also tell us that there should be a progression in our spiritual eating habits as believers, as there is a progression in the way a baby feeds over time. If we are new believers, the Word is our milk to cause us to grow more mature and strong in the faith. As we mature, we gradually supplement the milk with solid food. Once we are mature, the Word should become a feast of meat and other delicacies to our souls, a delight to our spiritual senses and a source of daily strength.
The curious thing is that although God has prepared His Word to be the very best, tastiest and most delicious food for our souls, regardless of our spiritual maturity, we are often like spoiled children, turning our noses up at the solid food and wanting to remain with the milk the whole time. Can you imagine what would happen to a baby who was never weaned onto solid food, and how he would compare with one who received the diet appropriate for a maturing body? That is a physical picture of what happens to our souls if we never progress from the milk to the meat of God's Word - and it is obvious that something is very wrong with any believer who is in this situation.
Perhaps you struggle to read the Word and to hear it preached and do not feel fed in your soul after doing so. Search your soul for any sin that could be causing that problem and confess it, and then come to the Word with prayer and ask God to feed you from it. Don't feel you have to read huge amounts every time, either - just begin with something short and sweet, perhaps from the Psalms or the Gospels. This is especially true if you have been starving yourself of the Word for a while. When someone is physically emaciated through starvation, they are not given a large plate of steak and fries for their first meal!
It is also important to "Chew" the Word carefully before you "swallow" (meditate on the Word and take time over it). Don't rush to gulp it down so you can get on with something else - savor the taste and the texture! Read with thanksgiving and praise. Soon you will find your appetite growing and you will be able to adjust your diet accordingly.
Why not choose this week to recommence a nourishing diet from the Word of God? Take milk if that is what you need but press on towards the meat. You need this food if you are to grow in grace and holiness as you serve the Lord here on earth!
