Spiritual growth doesn't happen overnight...but it does need to happen. In today's devotion we'll look at how a Christian can best progress in drawing near to God and even helping others along their own path.
The Bible refers to some believers as being at the milk stage of their development and others at the meat stage. Paul was concerned about some of the believers in Corinth who were at the milk stage.
He wrote in 1 Corinthians 3:1-3: “But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?”
These believers were living like unbelievers. Even though they had trusted in Christ as Savior they had not grown spiritually and were divided by petty differences, so Paul said he had to feed them with milk instead of solid food. They were carnal; that is, they were living according to the desires of the flesh rather than according to the desires of the Holy Spirit who indwelled them.
How does one get from the milk stage to the meat or solid food stage? The writer of Hebrews was telling of an Old Testament person then he added in Hebrews 5:11-14: “About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”
As you read the Bible, meditate on its truths, and apply it to daily life situations, you will develop from the milk to the solid food stage. Then you will have a life that pleases God.
What's something new about God you learned through this message?
Who in your life needs to know this about God?
References:
Living to Please God - Day 7
“Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission.
All rights reserved.”
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