Speaking to the church, Peter encouraged them, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Peter 2:2-3).
There is a dairy product I am quite fond of; it’s called ice cream. My love for ice cream began a long time ago. Once I had that first taste and tasted that it was good, I never looked back. Peter says the same thing about God. He tells us to “desire the sincere milk of the word.” That desire comes about when we have “tasted that the Lord is good.” When we taste His goodness, we want more.
Many people have no desire for the Word of God. I suspect it’s because they have never really tasted the goodness of God. It’s addicting – the goodness of God. Once you have had a taste, you want to keep going back for more. And unlike ice cream, there are no adverse health effects, and you won’t see a sizeable change in your waistline if you seek to indulge in the goodness of God.
When someone desires something, they essentially crave it. I remember when my wife was pregnant; she would have cravings for certain foods at the most bizarre times. And, much to my dismay, she would never crave ice cream, but the craving had to be satisfied ASAP!
Peter tells us to crave the Word of God as an infant craves his milk. Have you ever seen a hungry infant? They are inconsolable until their appetite is assuaged. When my son was a baby, he would wake up at two in the morning – every morning – and scream until he got his bottle. That little bundle of joy could not be consoled until that bottle was firmly ensconced under his little lips.
As soon as he was sucking down that little baby elixir, he would sigh a deep sigh of relief – whew, finally some satisfaction! And that’s how Peter says the children of God are to desire the “sincere milk of the word.” My son wanted his milk because he was hungry. Those hunger pains are healthy signs of a growing boy. Peter says we are to desire the milk of the word so “we may grow thereby.”
Do you have hunger pains for God’s Word? If my son never had hunger pains and had no interest in eating, I would conclude he was sick and take him to the doctor. If you never crave the “sincere milk of the word,” perhaps you need a physician – a spiritual one. Without hunger, there can be no growth; perhaps it indicates that there is no spiritual life.
Jesus said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). He is the great physician of our souls. If you don’t have those badly needed hunger pains, Jesus invites you to come, taste, and see that the Lord is good! You’ll never look back once you do.
