Trisha’s mom was known as the milk lady at the local grocer. Not because she owned a dairy farm, but because she was known for filling her cart with 14 gallons of the white stuff on every visit. In an effort to restrain the voracious appetites of their four growing kids, her dad secured the milk in the fridge behind locks and chains and offered powdered milk instead. However, the kids found ways to circumvent these obstacles. They had a craving for that pure milk that would not be denied.

1 Peter 2:2 describes our relationship with the word of God like infants and milk. “Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.” The word of God is given to nourish us so that we might grow spiritually, the same way milk sustains and nourishes infants physically. If you’ve ever heard an infant squalling because its belly is empty you understand the metaphor. But Peter is not suggesting we simply scream until our spiritual belly is full. If a newborn baby had the ability to provide itself with milk it would. Peter says, like babies, long for it, intensely crave it, earnestly desire it. We must have a desire for the unadulterated and pure word, that causes us to seek it out, study it, meditate on it and apply it.

Too often we take the word and confine it to Sundays behind locks and chains of limited time and disinterest, while we try to satisfy ourselves with smatterings of spiritual sounding teachings from the minds of men. Christians, do not let anything keep you from God’s word.