“You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food” (Hebrews 5:12 NLT).

MILK OR MEAT?

The author of Hebrews explained that the basic teachings about Christ had to be covered again with them, because they were not growing in their understanding of God’s Word. They had been believers so long that they ought to be teaching others, but they were still like spiritual babes who needed to be fed milk, rather than solid food.

There are believers like this in every generation. They receive the Word, but don’t grow in it. Hebrews does not question their belief, but it does accuse them of spiritual dullness and a failure to listen attentively to God’s Word in order to apply it. People who don’t grow in God’s Word are subject to every wind of doctrine and false teaching. But those who do grow in the Word, grow in discernment of right and wrong as they apply the Word to every life situation.

Are you growing in understanding and applying the Word of God? Are you feeding on the meat of God’s Word or are you still on a milk diet?

PRAYER: Dear Father, we desire to read Your Word every day and to study it, not just for knowing, but for doing. For we want to grow up in Your Word. Strengthen us by Your Spirit to understand Your Word and to rightly apply it to ourselves. Fill us with Your Word that we might teach others. In Jesus’ name, amen.