Daily devotion – milk and meat
Hebrews 5:11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
Milk is pre-digested food, and it is specially suited to babies. But only those who have teeth can eat meat. The writer of Hebrews defines the “milk” as the first principles of the oracles of God. The “meat” of the Word is the teaching about our Lord’s ministry now in heaven as our High Priest.
The writer wanted to give this “meat” to them, but they were not ready for it. The “milk” of the Word refers to what Jesus Christ did on earth – His birth, life, teaching, death, burial and resurrection.
The “meat” of the Word refers to what Jesus Christ is now doing in heaven.
How does all this work? We begin the Christian life on the basis of Christ’s finished work on earth. We grow in the Christian life on the basis of Christ’s unfinished work in heaven.
But even the most mature believer never outgrows milk.
Our task this week is to grow and grow, to make spiritual progress.
Babies are beautiful in their baby stage but it becomes a whole other matter if the baby remains stunted in the infant stage!