Eat solid food...

“We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. 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! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” (Hebrews 5:11-14, NIV)

It’s kind of funny. While I was reading this section recently, I got to feeling a bit woozy. I hadn’t really eaten much for breakfast and it was near noon. I decided I’d better get to the house and grab some solid food. When I had eaten, I felt much better and had the energy to keep going.

We need food. A baby needs its mother’s milk. An adult needs more than that.

In our spiritual life, we need to eat too. Jesus said, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4, NIV)

We mature in our faith by taking in God’s word, both the written word and the living Word, Jesus Christ. By constant hearing, believing, praying, and obedience to both we grow up. And, the writer or Hebrews says, as we eat solid food – reading our Bibles and praying – we learn to distinguish between good and evil. The ability to tell the difference between teaching that’s from God and that which is from the devil is so important.

There are all sorts of cults out there who have sucked in those who have not grown up enough to discern error from truth. Thousands follow the deceptive teachings of Joseph Smith or Mary Baker Eddy or L. Ron Hubbard. They fall for the lies they’re spoon fed because they have not feasted on God’s word. They have not grown wise by listening to the Holy Spirit’s guidance through the written word. They are unable to tell the difference between good and evil because they are not well acquainted with the good.

They could be you if you do not eat solid food regularly. Study God’s word so that the love of the things of this world do not drag you away from God. Study God’s word so that easy teachings and ear-tickling doctrines do not entice you to sin. Study God’s word so that you will be mature, able to distinguish between good and evil.

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