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“Therefore, putting aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord. (I Peter 2:1-3 NASB) Think about the many times you have tasted the Lord’s kindness in your lifetime. Consider how you can help others experience his kindness through your life. [Praying Our Way Through Stress: Drawing Wisdom from the Lord’s Life and Prayer. (c) 2013 June G Paul, Westbow Press, page 30]
In considering how you can help other people experience the Lord’s kindness through your life I wonder if anyone has answered that they have shared the Lord’s kindness by sharing the pure milk of the word?
Personally, I like the reference of being like newborn babes who long for the pure milk of the word. To me, the pure milk of the word are those sweet words of love, forgiveness and grace that are spoken from Jesus’ heart. So many of them are found throughout the New Testament.
. . . long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, . . .
Many of the people who were following Jesus were doing exactly this. They were following because they wanted to hear what Jesus was saying, what he was teaching, how he interpreted the Scriptures and the circumstances and I believe, they wanted to grow in respect to salvation.
I imagine people had begun saying “This Jesus, is the One who was born to Save us from sin.” Let’s listen to what he says about salvation.
Are people listening today? I can always tell when I’m listening to Jesus and when I’m not. I know when someone is feeding me the pure milk of the word, and when they aren’t. I know too, when it is I’m serving the pure milk of the word and when I’m not.
When I am full of malice, guile, hypocrisy, envy and slander – then it’s difficult to share the milk of the word. That is when I know I need the pure milk – I need to retreat from the world and be filled and healed. If I am not in the company of people who are filled with the pure milk of the word – they will feed into the anger, malice, guile, hypocrisy, envy and slander. When I am in the company of people who are filled with the pure milk of the word they will feed me with precisely that – they remind me of how much I am loved, who created me and why. They will encourage me to be renewed and refreshed with the Word and the Holy Spirit.
I’m a middle aged woman and this is what I have learned about relationship and friendship over the years. Our whole lives are a process of growing in respect to salvation. I prefer to be surrounded by people who want to continue growing, people who want to encourage and not judge, people who want to help other people up, not put them down.
I believe this is what God wants for us as well. Isn’t that what John 3:16 tells us?
Let us pray,
Dear Lord, please give more people a desire, a longing for the pure milk of the word so that this generation may grow in respect to salvation. We ask this for the sake of the building up of the Kingdom of God on earth and in heaven. May God be glorified through Jesus forever and ever. AMEN
