"Milk"

I hear the calves a-bawlin’,

For their mamas on the move,

And know they won’t grow silent,

Till their mother’s milk will soothe,

Their voices and their bellies,

When we reach a resting place,

Makes a cowboy’s heart feel happy,

Puts a smile upon his face.

For as crazy as the bovine,

And their offspring sure can be,

When they pair off together,

It’s a happy sight to see.

The Good Book says we need the milk,

Just like a nursin’ babe,

The Word of God to nourish,

The life of grace will save.

And if we do not get it,

We can’t expect to grow,

So pair off with that Bible,

It gives what we should know.

“Like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.” (1 Peter 2:2, NAS)

The word is referred to as nourishing milk to young Christians. Nothing beats it or can be substituted for it. With a steady diet of God’s word we grow. Without it we do not. It doesn’t mean we are not saved, just that we remain spiritual immature without the word’s influence. Interestingly, this passage is often used to emphasize how important it is to study the Bible. But these verses are not talking about recorded scripture. They are referring to God speaking to us by His Spirit. Does this mean we don’t need scripture? Hardly! But the point is that the Lord speaks to us in life-changing ways both from scripture and directly to our hearts. Unless He is speaking to us scripture will do us no good.

Lord, help us feed on Your word, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Bill Anton, used by permission. Thanks, Bill, and God bless you.