In recent days my life has intersected with young women new to their faith in Christ. You may have forgotten this, but that is one of the single most exciting things in all the world. Colossians 1:13 says it this perfect way, “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” When people are transferred into the Kingdom, that is something to get super excited about in my estimation.
As a result of my recent acquaintance with these young women I am reminded anew of the precious first steps of the faith. 1 Peter 2:1-3, “So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.” When Micah was a newborn there was no suppressing his desire to nurse. No matter how you might try to distract him, play with him, or otherwise engage him, his mind would not move itself from the milk that he so desired and really actually needed to live. He would not be satisfied until he had it, not until he was full. As I look on these “newborns” in the faith if you will, I am thinking about their thirst and how to train their thirst toward Jesus. My hope is that they would mature and develop the appetite of the psalmist in Psalm 119, an insatiable hunger for that which ought to feed our lives.
Many reading ought to be past the newborn stage, mature, disciplined, ready for meat. But I wonder if you’ve lost your taste and appetite for the things that God desires us to hunger and thirst for? Maybe that’s not you at all, maybe your thirst and hunger are kicked into high gear and you’ve never desired Jesus more. To that I say good and believe me we can be filled up even more with him. We haven’t arrived yet. For the former group I encourage meditation and reflection on 1 Peter 2:1-3. For the latter, I am pointing you to a passage that came up just days ago in my Long Hollow MESH Summer Bible Study group (how I love those precious young women),
1 Timothy 4:7Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. 10For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
11Command and teach these things. 12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 13Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 15Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. 16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.
It can be altogether easy to release passion and devotion, discipline that has godliness as its aim. We are altogether prone to forget and at times tempted to satisfy our appetites with lesser things. So full up on junk of the world, that we can’t receive the nourishment our souls crave and need. Training is difficult. Discipline requires focus. You have to be bent and fixed, so to speak, on the goal. If the goal for the believer is Jesus. Then we would do well “to fix our eyes” on Him, the “author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2). I hope you will let God speak to you. When his perfect light reveals sinful darkness in our souls I pray that we would repent and turn and love our Savior. There’s none more worthy of you than Him.
Eagerness overtakes me when the thought of watching these young women satisfy their thirst with God’s Word enters my mind. It’s their first steps. They are kind of like my son, MICAH, who took his very FIRST STEPS the other day toddling over to his mommy. A person’s first steps are kind of like their last steps….still putting one foot in front of the other, having done it longer though the hope is that you walk and stand firm in Jesus and don’t fall quite so much anymore (and even if you fall, God has your hand). Not made perfect yet, but not toddling either, maturity.
In ministry there can be a temptation to lose the wonder of the Gospel, the love for Christ's Word, and pure affection for His people, but nothing could be more destructive to us and our ministries. My encouragement to you today is to continue walking in step with the Holy Spirit that you may, by the Lord's grace, continue to be abundantly fruitful in all of your endeavors.
