Monday, September 17, 2001
It's been a long time since my wife and I had a baby around. And now that our daughter and son-in-law have given us a wonderful grandson named Jordan, we're into the baby thing again. And I want to assure you there is nothing wrong with this boy's appetite! Ooooo! I could tell that during his first couple of days on earth. He'd start crying to announce that it was time to eat. And he would not stop crying until he had his fill. And then that second day, he had just eaten, but right away he was again announcing that he had a need. Oh, we were able to distract him briefly by playing or singing or changing positions - but only briefly. Pretty soon he was at it again - until he got fed some more. Now even though our grandson is, of course, very special, I don't think this appetite thing is very unique. Babies will get their milk!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "When Adults Should Be Babies."
Now it's interesting that God uses that appetite of a newborn to describe the relationship of His children to His Word. It's in our word for today from the Word of God, 1 Peter 2:2-3. God says, "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation."
Hey, now I recently saw a newborn baby craving his milk, so this picture is very graphic to me. That baby not only has an appetite, he has an insistent appetite! He will not be satisfied until he has gotten his milk! He will get his milk! And he needs that milk - without it, he'd never be more than a helpless, eight-pound bundle. With it, he can start growing into all he was created to be.
God says, "I want you to be like that newborn baby when it comes to getting into My Word." If you are spiritually healthy, then you have a God-given, insatiable appetite to read what He's written in the Bible - to understand it - to use it. Medically, one sign that you're not healthy is poor appetite. Spiritually, one sign that you're not healthy is poor appetite - for God's Word.
So how's your appetite? Can you honestly say, "I can't wait for my next time to get into God's words? I really miss it when I don't have that time?" See if your appetite for what God says is something less than strong and insistent, think about what may be affecting your appetite.
For example, you can ruin your appetite for the good stuff by filling up on other stuff. Could it be that you are so full of television, business, reading other things, and entertainment - maybe even some serious junk food for your soul - that you don't have much appetite left for God's Word? You've dulled your spiritual senses by disproportionate time gobbling up other inputs.
Or maybe you may have little appetite because of little exercise. If you're not using what you read in your everyday life, you won't miss not having it. When you read God's Word, do you connect it to something that's going on in your life that day? Do you use it to transform how you handle that part of you that day? And are you out of your comfort zone, actively serving your Savior in something challenging? That kind of spiritual activity works up an appetite. When you are really letting God change you - when you are really letting God use you, you need His Word. And when you don't have it, you miss it.
If your appetite for God and His words to you isn't what it should be, ask Him to give you an appetite. The kind our little grandson has for physical milk - nothing will stop him from getting his nourishment! As you grow up in Jesus, don't ever lose that insistent appetite of a little baby!