Grownups

But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
Hebrews 5:14

Daily Devotion – August 18, 2021

Devotion based on Hebrews 5:14

See series: Devotions

Here’s some context for this Bible passage from Hebrews chapter 5. As the Hebrew Christians are reading this inspired letter, they are learning many wonderful truths. In this particular section of the letter, however, there is a loving—but sobering—reality check. God’s Word has just made a candid observation about their lives as Christians. While the readers of this letter continue to trust in Jesus as their Savior, many of them have neglected to keep growing and maturing in the teachings of Scripture. As a result, many of them, God’s Word frankly says, are like infants, still feeding on milk. The implication is clear. It’s time for them to grow up. It’s time for them to sink their spiritual teeth into solid food. It’s time for them to get back to the business of growing in their knowledge of the Word of God.

Allow that same candor from God’s Word to speak to you. Someone once said that, when it comes to growing in the knowledge of Scripture, there can be a tendency among Christians “to treat children like adults and to treat adults like children.” Meaning this—there can often be a serious effort to make sure that children thoroughly learn the basic teachings of the Christian faith. When those children reach adulthood, the drive to keep growing and maturing in God’s truth often comes to a halt.

Let’s confess to our Lord that it has often been easy to look upon our personal knowledge of God’s Word in much the same way we might look upon the history class or the literature class we took in high school. We remember some big things, but other things have gotten fuzzy, and in some ways, we have not moved forward at all. If Satan knows this (and he does), then he knows how vulnerable we are.

But this is where the Lord steps in. He calls us to repentance, washes us clean in his blood, and draws us closer to himself. And as he does, he empowers us to mature in his Word—to become grownups.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, send me your Spirit. Move me to grow and mature in your Word. Amen.

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