COME TO THE FEAST

“Therefore, putting aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisy and envy and slander, like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord,” (NASB, 1 Peter 2:1-3).

Have you ever watched an infant eat? A baby clutches the bottle, smacks her lips, and makes noises of contentment. She thoroughly enjoys her milk. But there comes a time when milk doesn’t satisfy a baby’s appetite anymore. That’s when a whole world of culinary possibilities opens up.

Comparing new believers to babies, Peter wrote that they “…long for the pure milk of the word” (NASB, 1 Peter 2:2). You wouldn’t feed a newborn steak and spinach, would you? Baby Christians must sip scriptural truths that they understand. Then, they feast on Bible passages, gradually taking in more.

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 illuminates the Word, making the meaning clear to those who seek to understand. Moreover, according to Paul, shepherds and teachers are charged with equipping the saints for service (Ephesians 4:11-16). They 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.

Jeff