JANUARY 25, 2 Peter 3:18 

“Jane sure drinks a lot of milk, doesn’t she?” observed Laura one day as she watched her baby sister. “That is all she drinks all day.” “That is true,” Mom answered. “Maybe she is getting tired of milk. Shall I feed her a sandwich and an apple?”

“No-o-o-o,” Laura laughed at Mom’s joke. “She can’t eat that. She isn’t big enough yet. She hasn’t got any teeth to chew with.” “You are absolutely right.” Mom smiled as she added, “But not before too long she will be able to have some soft cereal and some juice.”

“How soon can she have noodles?” asked Laura.

“Not for quite a while,” answered Mom. “She has got a lot of growing to do before she will be big enough for that.”

Dad held up his plate of sweet and sour pork. “Well, I am glad I am big enough to have this,” he said with a grin. “But you know what, Laura? Just like human babies slowly grow big enough to eat different things, baby Christians do, too.”

“Baby Christians?”asked Laura,looking puzzled.Dad nodded.“When a person first accepts Jesus as Saviour, he is called a ‘babe’ – an infant – in Christ. Older Christians help him understand the ‘milk’ of God’s Word – the easiest verses and stories. Then, as that person grows spiritually, we share the ‘meat’ of God’s Word – the deeper truths of Scripture that are harder to understand.”

Laura thought for a moment. Then she grinned. “I don’t think I will ask what stage you think I am at,” she decided. “I don’t think I am at the ‘milk’ stage anymore, but I am probably not quite ready to chew the ‘meat’ of the Bible either. You would probably say I am at the ‘mashed banana’ stage, and that sounds horrible.”

“As long as you are growing in Christ – a little every day – it is great, not horrible,” said Dad. “The only horrible thing would be if you stopped growing altogether.”

Thought: Are you growing in grace and knowledge of Jesus?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to grow strong spiritually by reading and obeying Your Holy Word. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.