Got Milk?

Read I Peter 1:13-2:20

“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so
that by it you may grow up in your salvation.”
(I Peter 2:2)

Thoughts… What do you crave? Perhaps like me, at various times you crave a variety of “things” — comfort, success, wealth, respect, power, relationships, and among them, the knowledge of God.

There is nothing wrong with any of those earthy “things”, if God grants them. But if growth in the knowledge and likeness of God is not your primary pursuit, then all of those other “things” will not only be unfulfilling, they will become a detriment to your spiritual growth.

The greatest “thing” in your life is your salvation. Nothing even comes a close second. All of these other pursuits are ephemeral, but your salvation is eternal. Obviously, therefore, growth in the knowledge of our salvation ought to be the number one craving in our lives. And the primary path to spiritual growth is the Word of God.

So the question Peter would ask is, “Do you crave the Word like a newborn baby craves milk?”

If your answer is “no”, then it is time to begin rearranging your priorities around the study of God’s Word. King David wrote in Psalm 119:36-37, “Give me an eagerness for your laws rather than a love for money! Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word.”

If you want to take up Peter’s challenge, do what David did. He first prayed and asked the Lord to give him a new craving for the Word—stronger than any other earthy craving he had. Maybe you should pray that pray right now—and keep praying it until your cravings turn into a commitment to the daily study of the Bible.

But David not only prayed that prayer, he was then willing to subordinate all other desires as secondary to his love for God’s Word. All other things he saw as “worthless things” in comparison to Scripture. And he was willing to arrange his schedule around it; he was willing to get up before the day began to mediate on it; he was willing to make it the topic of conversation as he interacted with others; he was conscious of applying it to his daily life.

Perhaps a good assignment for you, if you are serious about Peter’s challenge, would be to make a study of Psalm 119, and list out the various ways that David made God’s Word a practical part of his daily life. And then make them action items for your daily “to do” list.

There is a story told about a proud young man who came to the great philosopher, Socrates, asking for the knowledge necessary to be wise. He said, “Great Socrates, I come to you for knowledge.”

Socrates, who recognized an disingenuous and arrogant numbskull when he saw one, led the young man through the city streets to the sea, where they walked chest deep into water. Then Socrates asked, “What do you want?”

“Knowledge, O wise Socrates,” the young man said with a smile. So Socrates put his hands on the man’s shoulders and pushed him under. Thirty seconds later Socrates let him up.

Again Socrates asked, “What do you want?”

“Wisdom, great and wise Socrates,” the young man sputtered. So Socrates shoved him under again. Thirty seconds passed…thirty-five…forty. Finally when Socrates let him up, the man was gasping.

“What do you want, young man?” the venerable old teacher asked again.

Between heavy, heaving breaths the man wheezed, “Knowledge, O wise and wonderful…”

Before he could finish, Socrates pounded him down under the water again. Forty seconds passed…fifty…a minute. “What do you want?”

“Air…I need air!” he gasped.

And then Socrates said, “When you want knowledge as you have just wanted air, then you will have knowledge.”

And when you want growth in the knowledge of your salvation just as you desire air, you will grow in the knowledge of your salvation. And everything other desire in your life will pale in comparison.

Prayer… Dear God, change my earthly cravings into an insatiable appetite for your Word. Lord, may all else turn my stomach in comparison to the sweetness of knowing you and growing into the knowledge of my salvation.

One More Thing… “The Bible is meant to be bread for our daily use, not just cake for special occasions.”