FRIDAY September 4, 2026

Do You Desire the Milk of God’s Word?

Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
1 Peter 2:1-3

The Apostle Peter continued to write this great letter that has given to us a solid foundation of Christian doctrine. After an in-depth explanation of the new birth, justification and sanctification, the letter also covered some of the practical aspects of the Christian life––a life of holiness and obedience to God’s Word. This short epistle now moves forward to address the needs of an infant in Christ––a new convert to Christianity––and their spiritual growth.

Honestly, I have found spiritual immaturity to be a real problem within the Church. It has been said, “The Church today is three thousand miles wide and two inches deep.” Think about that for a moment. That is a shallow church––a church with no depth. This means there are large amounts of immature Christians who do not know God’s Word. Why? They have never truly grown in Christ by reading the Bible, line upon line, for themselves.

I thank God for Calvary Chapel––for the late Pastor Chuck Smith who, through the leading of God’s Holy Spirit, took it upon himself to teach a bunch of hippies. He taught the Word, line upon line, through the Bible. In doing so, the growth of the Church exploded. There are estimated to be about 1,800 Calvary Chapels globally, and the movement is still growing.

Have you grown spiritually? Are you reading your Bible on your own? If you do not grow spiritually, then you are going to remain carnal––living according to your own fleshly appetites. The Word of God is likened to milk that a baby naturally desires. Without its mother’s milk, it would die. That is how important the Word of God is to be viewed. Take heed to Peter’s exhortation: ... desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby... because without God’s Word, you will not survive.

If a man be new-born, he will desire the sincere milk of the word.
~Thomas Boston~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!