“Brothers, I could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to worldly, even as to babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk and not with solid food. For to this day you were not able to endure it. Nor are you able now, for you are still worldly.”
— 1 Corinthians 3:1-3

At this point in their spiritual lives, the Corinthians should be consuming meat—but instead they are only drinking milk. They are babes in Christ.

It is God’s eternal intention for every one of us that we grow to maturity in Jesus Christ. How do we do that? First of all, through the Word of God. One of the ways you can tell if you are born anew is that as a newborn babe you desire the sincere milk of the Word. We are not talking a feeling. We are talking about the knowledge that we are in need of the Word.

May I ask you how much time did you spend in the Word this week? That will tell you whether you are a babe or mature, whether you are spiritual or carnal. Do you study the Word of God? Do you hide the Word of God in your heart? Do you meditate upon that Word in the night seasons? That is absolutely essential. Without it you cannot live. Deprive your newborn physical baby of milk, and that child will die. Our spiritual life desperately needs the milk of the Word that we may grow thereby, and as we grow stronger, we can then feed upon the meat. And you notice that Paul later lamented those that could only take milk. They should be taking strong meat. They should be teaching others, but they need to be taught the basic principles of Christianity all over again.

Lord, give me the strength to desire Your Word more. Help me to grow and mature in You. You are the one that causes growth and new leaves and fruit. Let me grow as long as I live…

IN GOD’S STRENGTH,
WE GROW AND MATURE.