Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation 1 Peter 2:2-3
A couple of years ago, I was given the opportunity to babysit my two beautiful God-babies for three days while their parents went off on a well-deserved vacation. At the time, the bouncy baby boy was a one-year-old and the noticeably independent little girl was two.
You have to know that the last time I’d been entrusted with taking care of babies in diapers by myself was…well, never. I don’t currently have children of my own, so I couldn’t draw from personal experience. Maybe you could count my week-long experience volunteering at a daycare 15 years prior or give me credit for changing my then 21-year-old brother’s diapers oh say 21 years ago. But even then, I was never unsupervised. I had my doubts, but their parents had full confidence in me.
One thing I noticed that never changes about babies is their desire for milk. And when that desire comes, they are not shy about expressing it and letting anyone in the vicinity know that it’s time to eat. Their faces contort into this ghastly expression. Their legs start kicking in rage. And the most distinctly horrifying sounds flood from their mouths. A gut-wrenching, high-shrill cry that tugs right at the heart strings.
Maybe you’ve been there. Consoling them won’t do the trick. Distracting them is not a tactic that works. Even a pacifier only presents a temporary solution, until they realize they’ve been hoodwinked.
Babies have but one desire. One interest. One craving in that moment. Milk. And they want it right away.
Just Like That
As the apostle Peter penned those words in 1 Peter 2:2, he must’ve known well babies’ insatiable desire for milk. He didn’t instruct his readers to casually read a verse a day to keep the devil away. He didn’t advise them to fit God’s word into their schedule if they find time. Nor did he compare their desire for God’s word to full, satisfied stomachs. But instead, he correlated how their desire for God’s word was to resemble that of a newborn baby for milk.
Well, newborns feed upwards to every 2 hours throughout the day and night.
Do they care that momma is sleep deprived? Are they concerned that you’re trying to watch a TV program you’ve anticipated all week? Do they wait patiently until you’re done with your phone conversation with your best friend? Not a chance. Feeding time trumps all of that.
When it comes to prioritizing time with God in His Word, feel free to act like babies. Desperately “long for the pure milk of the word” of God.
Act like you know it’s your only means of spiritual survival.
Function like your life literally depends on what flows from that Biblical bottle.
Pursue it like it’s a top priority.
What Are You Crying Out For?
Milk is the gateway to babies’ growth. It contains all the necessary carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and nutrients to promote their ongoing development at this stage of life. And since their digestive tracts aren’t fully developed yet, newborns can only tolerate milk. Exclusively. Routinely. No alternative exists for them. To deny them milk, even with valid reason such as momma’s physical exhaustion, is literally to deny them life and their opportunity to grow.
Their cries indicate their full dependence on someone else to provide their need. So despite inconveniencing mom, in spite of interrupting anyone in earshot of their cries, and although it’s uncomfortable to hear, babies serve notice that no matter what stands in their way, receiving their milk takes precedence over any and everything else. Parents must adjust their schedules to meet that need.
As I ponder the boldness of their cry and the unapologetic expression of their need, I wonder, “Do my actions indicate that I am that desperate for God?” “Is time with God essential to me or expendable (I can take it or leave it)?” Furthermore, “What adjustments have I made to my schedule to ensure I prioritize spiritual feeding times?”
Scheduled Feeding Times
Those three days with my God-children were filled with lots of activity. There were bath times, nap times, and my personal favorite, play times. It was neat stimulating their little minds with bright colors, shapes, and numbers, dancing around with them to music, and holding their attention during reading time. We had a blast playing games.
But no matter what other activities I had planned for them throughout the day, I couldn’t neglect to schedule feeding times. I couldn’t let the fun of our recreation or the enjoyment of our entertainment or just the busyness of the day distract me from ensuring they were frequently fed.
For us, it is so easy to let the hustle and bustle of life or the daily demands of our schedules crowd out the one thing that’s fundamental to our spiritual growth. Reading and meditating on God’s word.
God put it this way to Joshua in Joshua 1:8, “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.”
The key to Joshua’s success in the activities he’d do was his careful study of what God had already written in His word. His activity for God was never to replace time with God. The same is true for us. We can’t know if the direction we want to take, or the decisions we need to make are in accordance with God’s plans if we don’t take the time to find out what His plans are. And where can we locate His plans, His intentions, His purposes? Right there in the Bible, His revealed will (Deuteronomy 29:29, John 5:39).
So, schedule times for your spiritual feedings, day and night, so you receive clarity on what you are to do.
What’s in the Bottle?
Lastly, I can’t ignore the adjective Peter used to describe the milk of God’s word. Pure.
Unadulterated. Unaltered. Authentic.
What if instead of milk at his feeding times, I gave my God-son water to drink? Same bottle. Same amount of fluid. Same filling.
Except that water provides no nutritional value besides hydration. While water is a component of milk, milk also contains carbohydrates, proteins, and fats his body digests and processes over time for the building of muscles, tissues, and strong bones…growth.
We have to get to the point that like the hungry baby, nothing else satisfies, except what was designed to address that hunger. God speaking uniquely to you. Christian songs may uplift and encourage, but they are insufficient alone. Devotionals may assist in our understanding, but they are not a replacement. Church services may recharge us, but they are not a substitute for your personal feeding times with God. That is, dedicated time in His word, listening to Him speak to you. Don’t skimp on the pure word of God in favor of something watered down.
The opposite end of the spectrum is also true. It would not have been wise to feed either child exclusively cookies, candy, and cake for each meal. Sure, I would have been well liked by them both because it tastes great, but what I was offering provided no lasting nutritional value. In fact, that junk food presented more of a detriment than a benefit to their growth.
Likewise, we must reject anything that sounds, feels, or looks good, but contradicts God’s established word. Just because it’s enticing and fulfilling, doesn’t mean it’s beneficial for your growth (1 Corinthians 6:12). Choose long term benefit, not instant gratification.
What Ultimately Produces Growth?
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18)
- Dependence – realizing we can do nothing apart from Christ and His revelation in His word (John 15:5).
- Discipline – identifying the necessity of daily uninterrupted time with God and scheduling time to meet with Him in prayer, praise, and meditation in His word. The more time we spend with Christ, the more He transforms us into His image…He literally rubs off on us (2 Corinthians 3:18).
- Do – the goal is not to spend time in the word of God to simply “Amen” it, to just agree with it, or to merely recite it in conversation. But as God told Joshua, “observe to do all that is written” therein (Joshua 1:8). Yes, read, meditate on, memorize, and recite Scripture, but only with the intent to operate by the principles found within it. Only with the intent of discovering Jesus and making Him known by our attitudes and actions.
And just like milk addresses the physical need of a newborn baby, we have this promise from Jesus, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6). So, in your desire to address your fundamental spiritual need, God’s word, I give you permission to act like babies.