We all like our sweets, our sugary snacks. Most of us, that is. And I’ll admit, I’m right there with everybody else. And the candy industry has made available to us every kind of treat to tickle the taste buds of every palate. There are milk and dark chocolates of all types, hard candies, jelly beans, gum drops, licorice mix, etc. This is not to mention all the snack cakes, cookies, donuts... (I’m going to run out of space). Anyway, you know what I’m talking about.
That sugary snack can give us a little boost during the day, but we all know that you can’t “live” on sugary snacks. They don’t provide the necessary nourishment for good health, growth and energy. We need our carbs, proteins, vitamins, etc. And here, again, God has provided us with one of those insightful parallels between the physical and the spiritual. Let me explain.
Many of us have favorite scriptures that we like to go to for a spiritual “boost” during the day. These might be stuck to the fridge with a magnet or on the side of your coffee mug. Some folks have a calendar on their desk which has a scripture for every day. Others read a short lesson from a daily devotional. These are all good and have their place, BUT they are not sufficient to give you the spiritual growth you need. They are just “a small “snack” from God’s word.
The author of Hebrews had similar thoughts, although he uses milk and not sugar in his comparison: “...you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature...”
Many of his readers had been living on the milk of the word (apparently some were not even doing that!), and subsequently had not grown into maturity. They could not handle the meat or solid food which he was trying to teach them in his letter.
Our little spiritual “boost” for the day is a good thing, but we all need something with more nourishment. Make some time to get into God’s word. Read, ponder, ask questions. Let the Spirit guide you into deeper truths. Get closer to the Lord.
><> Jeff