#ThinkingTuesday – Change your thinking; Change your life.

Today, we’re thinking about Milk. We’ve all seen or heard the popular “Got Milk” ad campaign that rocked the 90s and early 2000s by engaging a variety of celebrities in the famous “Milk Moustache” pose. If you haven’t, you’re either wayy too young to remember or you’ve just been living under a rock all your life, so I’ve included some of the more decent ones for your viewing pleasure.

Although this insanely popular ad has faded from our screens, I’ve brought it to our remembrance today as a reminder of a different kind of milk; Spiritual Milk.

I Peter 2 vs 2-3 [Selected Versions]

[NLT] Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.

[EXB] As newborn babies want milk, you should want the pure [sincere; unadulterated] and simple [or spiritual] teaching [milk; probably referring to the word of God]. By it you can mature [grow; reach maturity] in your salvation, because you have already examined and seen [tasted] how good the Lord is.

[AMP] Like newborn babies [you should] long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may be nurtured and grow in respect to salvation [its ultimate fulfillment], if in fact you have [already] tasted the goodness and gracious kindness of the Lord.

In these verses, the analogy of newborn babies clearly demonstrates that Peter is indeed referring to a mother’s milk, but make no mistake, unlike the celebrities in our Got Milk ad, Peter is not admonishing us to consume a literal milk, (i.e. Cow’s Milk) but rather to consume the spiritual milk of the living and abiding Word of God.

Therefore, Peter’s point is simple:

We must have God’s Word to grow in our salvation.

God’s word is the key to a full experience of salvation. Without it, our salvation will have no fulfilment. God’s Word not only imparts life to us, it nurtures and sustains it. Apart from God’s Word, we shrivel and die like a starving child whose mother’s breasts have dried up and who has no other source of food.

More Verses On Milk

I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready. — I corinthians 3:2 [ESV]

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. — Hebrews 5:12-13 [ESV]

Unlike Paul in the above verses, Peter isn’t contrasting the Milk of God’s Word with Meat or Solid Food. When Peter uses this Milk analogy, he refers to it as something we should always be feeding on; a continually nourishing milk. Drinking the Milk of God’s Word i.e. pure unadulterated scripture, is simple enough for the youngest infant in the faith, and yet solid enough even for the most mature of saints.

Just as God designed a mother’s milk as the perfect food for newborn babies; God also designed His word as the perfect food for the born again believer.

Just as a mother’s milk immunizes her baby from illnesses; God’s Word protects Christians from the many spiritual diseases which abound in their environment.

Just as a mother’s milk makes her baby grow for months without any other food; God’s Word will nourish Christians so that they “grow toward salvation” without needing anything else.

We never reach a place in this life where we stop growing.

God’s children should be excited about growing in respect to their salvation. Physical growth is not instant, neither is it immediately seen, and it is the same way with spiritual growth. You probably won’t see it daily, but that should not deter you from continually feeding on the Milk of the Word.

Newborn babies have an intense craving for their mother’s milk! It doesn’t matter if it’s 3 a.m in the morning. If they’re hungry, their screams will wake you and they won’t stop until they get what they’re after! Children of God must behave the same way!

Toys, pacifiers and water can only deceive a baby for so long. You can stick your finger in a baby’s their mouth and they’ll suck on it but once they realise they’re not getting any milk, they’ll spit out your finger and scream for the real thing.

We must be as discerning as babies when it comes to craving spiritual milk. Once we realise we’re not getting fed with the real thing, we must spit out the fake and seek true nourishment! Don’t settle for fakes, don’t settle for low quality.

Wondering how to drink God’s Word?

 STUDY IT. TASTE IT. INTERPRET IT. APPLY IT.

Many Christians do not read their Bibles! Maybe you’re one of those “but I’m not a reader” persons. Well, learn to be a reader! God chose to communicate His Word in written form. By all means, get an audio bible and listen to it, but you also need to learn to read.

You’ve got to meditate on the word to understand and enjoy it. Observe it carefully. Interpret it by comparing Scripture with Scripture. Ask yourself, what does this passage mean in context and in light of other Scripture? Apply it prayerfully. Think, what does it mean to me? How do I need to obey it? Memorise certain portions, so that God can use them in your life during the day.

Taste points both to personal experience and enjoyment. I can’t taste for you, you can’t taste for me. We can only taste for ourselves. Each person’s taste is different. To taste something,you have to experience it up close. You can see and hear and smell at a distance, but you can only taste something by touching it to your tongue.

You can only taste God’s Word by drawing near to God. Once you like the taste of something, you don’t just eat it to survive; you actually enjoy eating it. Like Ice-Cream, nobody eats it to survive, we eat it because we like the taste. All who have tasted God’s kindness testify of its sweetness. Learn to love the taste of the Milk of God’s word, so you can enjoy it faithfully every day.

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Like the Apostle Peter, my ultimate “food for thought” for you today is:

If you survey the pictures above, each person gives various reasons why “milk” is important to them and why they endorse drinking milk. Now, I would like you to do the same. No matter how far-fetched your reasons are, I want you to reflect and think deeply about why spiritual milk is important to you.

Of course, it is important because you must grow in salvation. But what is your personal reason for pursuing God’s word? What do you stand to gain? or what do you stand to lose if you do not consume this milk?

Thinking about these things will encourage you to be fired up about craving spiritual milk. Don’t get complacent in the things of God and in the business of His kingdom. Remember the benefits of consuming spiritual milk.

Most of us are quite stingy with sharing food, but this milk is so good, it should not be consumed alone. Even as we enjoy this milk for ourselves, we must remember to pose the same question to those who have never encountered this milk. Without fearing the response, I dare you to ask someone today: Got Milk? 

Selah!

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*The question Got Milk? in this context means: Have you got God’s Word?