If you have ever introduced a baby to solid food you are going to relate with what I am going to write. If you have more than one child you know the babies react very differently depending on the personality of the child and their comfort with what is different or new.
I have four children. My oldest son was about 3 months old when I first introduced solid food. I know that is pretty early by today's standards, but this was 18 years ago. He was a big boy and milk alone didn't seem to hold him for very long by the time he was a few months old. I really did debate about giving it to him at such a young age, but I remember him looking at my husband and myself and just longing to "chew" on something! He would even mimic our chewing when we were eating. Watching him do that led me to go ahead and try solid food. I remember putting the spoon of baby cereal mixed with applesauce in his mouth. His eyes got big and he smiled. Most of it ran down his face, onto his clothes and some of it was spit on me as he giggled! He enjoyed it and pretty quickly got the hang of keeping it all in his mouth. After a while I couldn't spoon it in there fast enough!
Now my oldest daughter was a different story. It was a similar scenario, the milk was not holding her very long, and she was about 6 months old at the time. Times had changed, as did baby books and pediatricians that encouraged parents to wait longer to introduce solid foods. I mixed the rice cereal and applesauce expecting the same glee and excitement my son had exhibited. I loaded up the spoon with this gruel and put it in her mouth. Now, by the look on this child's face you could clearly see that I had offended her! Her eyes got teary, her face got red and she looked horrified that I would do such a terrible thing to her. THIS was not what she was expecting at all! Out all of it came and the screaming began, only to be stopped by her familiar beloved bottle! Not quite the reaction that I was expecting. No worries, she is 14 years old now and she eats solid food, so it all turned out well in the end. ;)
My younger two, a boy and a girl were adopted at ages long after such experiences took place. However, with their unique personalities I think I can pretty well guess how it went when they first experienced solid food. My youngest son will eat anything, anytime and anywhere.....like my oldest son. My youngest daughter isn't into trying new things and frequently is offended by any food that is different or not on her "regular" menu!
In this verse, below, Paul gets pretty tough with those whom he is teaching, but for very good reason!
Hebrews 5:11 There is much more we would like to say about this, but it is difficult to explain, especially since you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen. 12 You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word.[a] You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. 13 For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. 14 Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.
I say all this to give you a picture of all of us, believers that need to grow and mature in Messiah. I have been there and in many ways I am being weaned from milk still. I don't count myself to be above anyone. I understand, that it can be strange, frightening, wonderful and exciting when we move beyond the "milk" phase of basic scriptural concepts. Sometimes we think we have the cereal and applesauce mastered and that is just wonderful! It is enough! We are gleeful at tasting such fine food! We don't even realize that there is more. We have no idea what we are missing. We become comfortable and content with less than He intends for us. Soon our spirits crave more. The cereal and applesauce just are not doing the trick. We eat it and very soon we are hungry again. Now that we have matured some, we need something more sustaining and challenging to further grow. Then Yahweh, who is a wise Abba (Daddy) tosses a big old piece of pot roast on our plates. He carefully cuts it up in small pieces. We take a bite and realize this is going to take some chewing! We thought we knew all about chewing until we began to chomp down on the delicious yet very chewy meat. The experience kinda freaks us out at first! Soon we realize that this food is much more sustaining that what we have been eating, but it is going to take a little work in breaking it all down so we can digest it.
Growing in Messiah is likened to an infant learning to consume solid food. It is difficult at first, but it is necessary for our growth and maturity. We may struggle and even gag a bit at times at what He is showing us and how He is growing us at first. With consistency and time we will be able to digest the Truth He is feeding us! Sometimes this meat is offensive to us. You know, the things He shows us and the challenges He allows to come our way. Sometimes it is shocking, surprising and even stunning. At times it can be downright overwhelming! We often want to run back to our milk and take comfort in it. However, we must move forward and consume what He wants us to eat if we are to grow and mature. Change is hard, but it is necessary for survival and maturity. If we remain infants how will we ever be able to accomplish all that He has for us? It is impossible! To have the strength to be effective for the Kingdom we must have this rich nourishment. In order to have that kind of strength we must consume the weightier and more difficult things in His Word.
Hebrews 6:1 So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God.
We have a wonderful, loving and patient Abba Father who will kindly lead us and teach us what He needs us to know. However, we must be willing to follow His lead and trust Him. He knows what is best for us and what will nourish us! We just have to be willing to open our mouths, chew and swallow and then we will be able to digest what He gives us. We will be able to have peace even if it is unfamiliar and uncomfortable to us. This is of particular importance in the world we are now living in and as we come closer and closer to His coming! He wants us to be strong, healthy and able to handle challenges that are to come. The only way to to do that is to consume the "meat" of His Word and of His presence!
Finally, I have come to the point where I crave this nourishment. I know what He gives me is good for me and it satisfies.....more than I could have ever imagined!
Shalom friends!
