Daily devotion – milk or meat?
Hebrews 5:12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
As a child attending primary school, every student at that time used to receive a small bottle of milk for nourishment in every school in Western Australia, fresh every day. This was done as many children grew up in poor homes and some were missing out on being able to have a healthy diet at home.
However, this practice was not carried on into the high school years. The writer of the book of Hebrews is wanting to be teaching with a greater depth and understanding the things of God, but he says he is prohibited at this time due to the immaturity of the believers to be able to ‘digest’ the Scriptures and the teaching he was wanting to impart.
In today’s modern Church is it the norm now NOT to bring with you your own Bible with you to follow the teaching of the day’s message? This is a by-product, a carry-over of an overall lack of maturity in today’s Church attendees, to be able to digest God’s Word.
Now Churches have taken to placing all Scriptures on the screen for the people to follow as people just don’t read their own Bibles anymore.
The often-raised argument is that people have the Bible now on their phones and therefore this is how they follow the teaching. Yes all well and good but also could such a practice make you open to ‘quickly’ checking an email when your phone vibrates, or when you begin to day dream, or you check out twitter or Instagram, or even your shopping list for after Church?
The trend today is to be a Bible less believer which results ultimately in a Christless Christianity!
I have a particular breakfast Bible, a certain study Bible on my desk when preparing and researching sermons. I also have a distinct Bible I take with me and utilize when I am sitting under the teaching of the Word myself in Church.
I even have my mini Bible that I take with me when I go to a hospital or have to visit the doctors and know I am going to be waiting some time until my appointment.
Ask yourself today, are you still on the ‘bottle’ as far as the Scriptures go?
Are you unskilled in the word of righteousness: Those who have become babes reveal themselves because they are unskilled in the word of righteousness. We don’t expect brand new Christians to be skilled in the word of righteousness, but those who have been Christians for a time should be.
The ability to discern in a Christian, is honed and developed by the mature believer growing in their own understanding of God’s holy Scriptures.
That’s what makes many Church attendees today prime candidates for ‘falling away’ from the faith or being deceived by false teachers.
Mature believers are not fooled by apostate teachers, by false teachers or deceivers. They know that what these fake teachers are preaching is garbage. As a pastor there are times I am in a quandary, as I see people being seduced by false teachers. Should I speak to them about what they are being sucked in to? Or should they be mature enough to have the Holy Spirit tell them to keep away from the fakes?
A new believer certainly needs assistance, but someone who has been sitting under the teaching of God’s Word for some time should by now be able to digest and know the meat of the Word of God from the fake.
Jesus and Paul tell us we are living in the times of great deception. With a solid mature understanding of the Holy Scriptures the Holy Spirit will always keep us safe in Him who saved us – read John 10.
But for those playing Church, the new next big thing will draw their attention away and see them follow after their own desires – 2 Tim 3: 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power.7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
There is a refining process underway in the Church of God and He is sorting the Wheat from the Tares.