Today’s Reading:
1 Peter 2:1-3
" As new-born babe, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby" (v.2)
The "Word of God", both written and spoken, is very essential to mankind. God created/ framed the world by his word, He spoke everything into existence (Heb 11:3). Apostle John in John 1:1-3,10,14 intimates us with the fact that Jesus is the Word, who had been with God from the beginning, and that all things, including the world, was made through Him. He later came to the earth in the flesh and ultimately reconciled man with God through his crucifixion, resurrection; and then ascended back to God in heaven. By this, God had and has continued to reveal himself to mankind in and through his word. The word is God! The Bible is the word! The role of the word in the salvation and growth of man cannot be underestimated.
The many qualities of the Word of God include: it's purity, perfection, endurance, immutability, reliability(sureness), rightness(moral), practicability, universality, everlasting, omnipotence, omnipresent, omnibenevolence, sharpness(than any two-edged sword), abiding forever, lives and so on. In enumerating the purposes of the Word of God, Peter specifically confirms that a man is born again through the word of God (1 Peter 1:23). He further encourages that in order to grow in the Lord, he should desire the "milk” of the Word. Other purposes of the Word in general include: instruction on obeying God, giving spiritual protection, washing off sin and unrighteousness, helping to resist temptation, helping to stand firm in faith. Growth means - to grow, and to grow means - gradual increase, progress, development, to advance towards maturity. Spiritual growth is expected of a believer who has started a new life when he has become born again, and gradually tending towards maturity in the Lord. In our today’s Text, Apostle Peter recommends the “milk” of the Word of God to the newly born believer, in order to grow.
Like a newly born baby in the natural, the new believer requires milk to help him grow/develop. In the natural, milk from the mother and even artificially- produced milk, is the first diet for the baby. It is a rich source of essential vitamins and minerals, constituting a balanced diet for the baby at the initial stage of life. It is, therefore, not surprising that the newly born-again person is encouraged to desire for the pure “milk” of the Word, in order that he/she can grow. The “milk” of the Word connotes: the foundation/elementary stage of the believer’s faith. The purpose of the pure milk of the word is to establish the believer firmly in the faith, upon which further growth will rest. This entails the rudiments/basics of faith: daily reading, hearing, studying, meditation (digesting) and memorizing the Word of God. Then what is learnt is expected to be put into action, by acting out the faith as it is being built up. Also, a lot is learnt and gained through fellowshipping with other believers, aside from with God and the Holy Spirit. Peter recommends that the new believer should "desire" the pure milk of the word. This means to crave for or long for true, undiluted, unadulterated, honest and unfalsified rudiments of God's word, so that he/she would grow/develop to the next level.
It is instructive to note that the writer of the Book of Hebrews confirms that "a babe in faith" needs "milk" and not solid food (meat) (Heb 5:13-14). However, it is recommended that, even when the believer has attained maturity later in his walk in the faith, the pure milk of the word should remain part of the soul's daily diet. It is generally recommended that the Gospel of John be one of the first books to be and led/studied by the newly born again.
CHRISTIE KUPOLUYI
PRAYER:
Father open our eyes to the fact that you and Jesus constitute the Word, and help us embrace You as such.
Father teach us to desire the pure milk of the word as beginners and as we grow to maturity and even older.
Precious Lord teach us your word and expound the truth in our hearts.
Father, help the Church to teach, preach and use the word appropriately.
Father, use your word to deliver, heal and build our nation to the glory of your name.
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