Chapter 3
HIS MILK FOR YOUR GROWTH
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.
1 PETER 2:2 NIV
22 What’s on Your Plate?
I’m in no position to judge anyone. My portion control meter is out of order. Maybe, the mashed potato container lies. It says it feeds five when it only feeds two!
Nutritionists observe what we eat and how much affects our health. They suggest one serving of animal protein is the size of a deck of cards. One-half cup of fruits and vegetables is as big as a computer mouse. A baked potato serving is fist-sized.
There is another kind of portion control—what we do with our time. That significantly affects our spiritual health.
Life expectancy in the USA is about 80.1 In the Philippines, it’s about 69.2 So, of everything you could do in those years, what’s your portion? With what are you filling the plate of your life?
About 3,000 years ago King David wrote, “LORD, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure” (Psalm 16:5 NIV). He also called the LORD his portion in Psalm 119:57 and 142:5. He spooned a heaping serving of God on the plate of his life.
Asaph agreed, “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:26 NIV). Jeremiah describes the LORD as the Portion of Jacob (Jeremiah 10:16).
Think of all God could’ve heaped on His plate from the vast universe He created. Deuteronomy 32:9 ( NIV) states that the LORD’s portion is His people. Of everything God could have chosen, He chose you!
That should make you feel special! If you love Him, pile Him on your plate.
If God is your portion today, how will that affect what you think, say, and do? Read Matthew 22.
23 Do You Know the Two Christian Fundamentals?
Grace and gratitude are the fundamentals of the Christian faith. They sum up what Christians believe. They describe why they behave as they do. Let’s first reflect on grace. Grace is undeserved favor with a transforming purpose.
Suppose I intentionally ruin the paint job on my neighbor’s car. He saw me do it. He was watching me through his bedroom window.
Imagine I find myself in a financial bind. I ask him for a one-hundred-dollar loan. I make my irrational request.
He pulls five twenties from his wallet. He says, “I’m not going to loan you the money. I’m going to give it to you.” That’s grace! I won’t damage his car again.
You’ve done untold damage to God’s purposes and people created in His image. We all have.
Nevertheless, God actively pursues blessing you through His Son, Jesus Christ (Luke 15:1–7). He forgives your sins by His undeserved favor because you trust in the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross in your place.
He then expects you to forgive others who have offended you (Matthew 6:14–15) and live for Jesus who died for you (1 Corinthians 6:19–20). That is becoming more like Jesus. If you’re not becoming more like Jesus, you should rightly question whether you’re under God’s grace or His judgment.
Grace is the ultimate shapeshifter. It takes the form of your needs. God’s grace can fix anything, although it operates in harmony with His sovereign will.
It was on display throughout Jesus’ life. Emotional, physical, and spiritual problems dissolved as grace flowed through Him.
Grace is more about fixing you than fixing your problems. Your biggest problem is the gap between your character and Jesus. Fixing you means making you more like Him (Romans 8:29).
Do you need the right words to speak to someone who is hurting? Do you need the wisdom to make a crucial decision? Do you need the courage to live against the prevailing ungodly current of life? Whatever you need today consistent with God’s will, His grace will supply.
Gratitude changes how you think, feel, and behave. Gratitude springs from recognizing that God constantly gives you what you don’t deserve.
A Pennsylvania wrestler once volunteered to forfeit a wrestling match to an injured opponent. He did that so the injured wrestler could win his 100th career match instead of graduating from high school with ninety-nine wins.
The wrestler who received that gift should have overflowed with gratitude. How much more should you do because of all God does for you?
How has your gratitude to God grown since you first believed?
Read Matthew 23.
24 Bible Study Tips
Learning to feed yourself spiritually is vital. “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation” (1 Peter 2:2 NIV). For the first dozen years, I was a Christian, my goal was to read through the Bible yearly.
I read like someone chewing highly nutritious broccoli while swallowing very little of it. Please learn from my mistake.
Your following Jesus requires education plus application. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22 NIV).
How much of the Bible you read every year doesn’t matter most. It’s how much of the Bible gets through you. Biblical information without transformation isn’t discipleship.
Beginning in December 1981, I read less but tried to apply something every day from what I read. Now it takes me three years to read through the Bible at a one-chapter-a-day rate.
I write the date, what I read, and what I hear God saying to me. I usually write as though God is speaking directly to me. Here are seven examples:
12/10/15 - 1 Samuel 22 - Lying to protect yourself often puts others in danger. Speak the truth in love.
12/11/15 - 1 Samuel 23 - I am the God of all possibilities. Trust how I work in and through you and find your strength in Me.
12/12/15 - 1 Samuel 24-25 - Following the voices of your anger and pride will lead you astray. Don't make knee-jerk decisions when you are hurting.
12/13/15 - 1 Samuel 26 - Repentance is first recognizing you've acted like a fool and erred greatly. Then turn from your foolishness and error.
12/14/15 - 1 Samuel 27-28 - If you refuse to obey Me, don't expect Me to guide you.
12/15/15 - 1 Samuel 29 - My sovereign will is the needle that pulls the thread of your life through all circumstances' ups and downs.
12/16/15 - 1 Samuel 30 - Find strength in Me to overcome adversity (v. 6).
I’ve used the Life Application Study Bible for my reading for more than thirty-five years. I recommend it.
When nothing from the chapter speaks to my heart, the Life Application Study Bible’s notes usually do. Writing down what you hear God say helps Velcro the truth to your heart.
When will you begin recording your devotional thoughts? Read Matthew 24.
25Twelve Suggestions to Get More from Your Bible Reading
1. Some versions of the Bible are easier to understand than others. The King James Version is at grade 12 reading level. The New International Version is 7–8. The NIV is the most popular English version.
The New Living Translation is grade 6 reading level. The NLT is the second most popular English version. Only the Scripture you understand and apply will make you more like Jesus.
2. Consider purchasing a study Bible. It’ll help you digest more soul food. I’ve used the Life Application Study Bible for more than 30 years. It’s the best-selling study Bible. It’s now in its third edition.
3. An online concordance deepens your study. You can search biblical words at BibleGateway.com: A searchable online Bible in over 150 versions and 50 languages.
For example, you can study every occurrence of “love” in the Bible. That helps you get a firmer grip on its meaning.
A Bible dictionary provides historical and cultural backgrounds. It explains the Bible's people, places, things, books, and customs. You can access an online version of Bible Dictionary - Online Dictionaries (biblestudytools.com).
4. Let the Bible explain itself. Matthew 7:7–8 doesn’t guarantee you will get everything you ask from God. Other passages, such as James 4:3, describe conditions for answered prayer. Interpret a verse based on the whole Bible’s teaching about the topic.
5. Consider literary forms. Jesus is the door (John 10:9). But don’t expect a knob and hinges. A literary interpretation considers, for example, whether the verses are prose or poetry.
6. The author’s original intention is the key to a verse’s meaning. But there will be many applications.
7. Understanding the grammar of the original languages and historical background helps you grasp the author’s original intention. For that, we depend on experts in biblical languages and culture.
8. Interpret unclear passages in the light of clear ones. Ephesians 2:8–10 describes how good deeds relate to salvation better than James 2:24.
9. Research what words meant to the biblical authors. Two resources to help: Nelson’s Expository Dictionary of the Old Testament by Merrill F. Unger and Williams White, Jr. and An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words by W. E. Vine - Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words (studybible.info).
10. Proverbs express general principles, not moral absolutes. Proverbs 3:16 promises long life to the wise. But some wise people die young.
11. Parables teach one main point. Luke 15 teaches that God cares about lost people. Don’t look for meaning in all the details.
12. Pray for the Holy Spirit to lead you into all truth (John 14:17, 26).
Which of the twelve principles is most helpful? Read Matthew 25.
26 A Time and Place for Discipline
I’m not the poster guy for discipline. Discipline is like water, sunshine, and fertilizer for a plant. It enables you to achieve your full physical, emotional, spiritual, mental, and social potential.
It’s the superstructure on which you build your life. Without it, you’ll make less of a difference on Earth than with it. Allow me to share personal examples.
I read the Bible daily while I eat breakfast. I pray while doing my stretching exercises. I eat three meals daily but not between meals (except for evening ice cream!). I have regular places and times to do strength-building exercises.
Having a time and place for each of these helps me do them regularly. Do I ever miss? Of course! When I do, it’s usually because I’ve allowed something else to usurp the reserved time or place.
Discipline is the backbone of following Jesus. Obedience requires it. Like saying no to the second muffin at a meal, you must continually say no to the world’s attempts to shape how you think and live. You must also continually say yes to God’s will and ways.
Frankly, I don’t enjoy discipline one bit! I’m guessing you don’t either! “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11 NIV).
Discipline enables God to shape you to become more like Jesus—but only if you give it a time and place!
What are your designated times and places to read the Bible and pray? If you don’t yet have them, when will they be? Read Matthew 26.
27 Daily Time with God
To be physically healthy and fit you must eat healthy food and do regular cardiovascular and muscle-strengthening exercises. To maintain your weight, calories burned must be balanced with calories consumed. Experts recommend you eat various fruits and vegetables and limit your consumption of red meat.
Spiritual health and fitness also depend on healthy food and regular exercise. God’s word is your soul’s super healthy Mediterranean diet. Applying it is your spiritual exercise. Read it daily and think about how it relates to you. Apply it to boost your spiritual vitality.
Reading without application is like chewing without swallowing. Life application builds spiritual muscles. The Bible calls it obedience.
David prayed every morning (Psalm 5:3) and sought God’s face (Psalm 27:8). Psalm 27:9 describes the opposite of seeking God’s face as hiding your face, turning away in anger from, rejecting, or forsaking God.
Daily seek God as earnestly as you would ice water in 110-degree heat (Psalm 63:1). Seek Him with all your heart and soul, and you’ll find Him (Deuteronomy 4:29). He will bless you (Psalm 119:2).
Daily time with God prepares you to bear spiritual fruit. To bear fruit a grape branch must remain attached to the vine. To be spiritually fruitful, you must maintain vital contact with Jesus (John 15:5). Set aside time daily when you are alert for prayer and Bible reading. Select a place where no one will interrupt you (Mark 1:35).
Read daily a chapter of Scripture. Start with the New Testament. A study Bible such as The Life Application Bible helps you understand its background, meaning, and application.
Write the date, what Scripture you read, and 1-–3 sentences of personal application. Talk to God about your concerns (Philippians 4:6–7). Read Matthew 27.
28 Are You a Growing Christian?
At 25, you wouldn’t recognize yourself at 85! Aging erodes your vision, hearing, taste, and smell. Hair goes gray and away. Wrinkles appear uninvited. You take more trips to the bathroom. Balance problems emerge. Walking speed eventually downshifts to turtle gear.
Paul acknowledges physical decline. But he sees another reality in believers.
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16 NIV).
You might not do fifty pushups in your golden years, but your spiritual health can be fit, and vital. Unfortunately, not all senior believers are senior saints. Too many grow old without growing up spiritually.
The spiritual life Jesus gives you (Ephesians 2:5) grows, matures, and bears much fruit if the environment is suitable. You’re responsible for the environment.
Crops need light, carbon dioxide, water, and nutrients. Only God can make them grow. Farmers don’t take vacations during the growing season.
Spiritual fruitfulness also requires work. “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow” (1 Corinthians 3:6 NIV). You can’t afford to take vacations from spiritual disciplines and expect to be a growing Christian.
Spiritual growth reveals itself in developing character, knowledge, and skills. Growing Christians become more like Jesus as they spend time in prayer and His word.
Others can readily observe the fruit of the Spirit in them—Jesus’ love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22–23). This transformation starts with renewed thinking (Romans 12:2), which takes discipline and time to develop.
Growing Christians become increasingly skilled in godly living. “But solid [spiritual] food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil” (Hebrews 5:14 NIV). The bottom line is that spiritual growth requires effort!
What time and energy are you investing in your daily spiritual development? What fruit have you seen from your investment? Read Matthew 28.
29 Feeding Yourself Spiritually (1)
Disease-causing organisms are everywhere. They thrive in an unclean world. If they invade your body, they can multiply quickly. They can create a life-and-death situation.
The best defense against them is clean body and clean food and water. No matter how careful you are, germs will enter. In a healthy body, antibodies quickly overcome them.
Adequate rest, balanced meals, and regular exercise help the antibodies contain and destroy the invaders. When the invaders outnumber or overpower your immune system, you experience discomfort, pain, fever, and sickness.
Pro-Christ and anti-Christ forces battle for your soul. Like disease-causing organisms, evil powers surround you and seek to invade your life. They seek to pounce and kill when you’re most vulnerable. Continual cleansing is your first-line defense.
You need not collapse under their attack. You fight the invaders best if your soul is rested, well-fed, and properly exercised. You’re aiding the disease organisms that threaten you when you cheat on your sleep, skip meals, and neglect exercise.
When you ignore the feeding and exercise of your soul, you’re playing into the hands of anti-Christ forces. You love and obey God when you spend time with Him reading His word and praying.
It’s easy to wallow passively in other people’s spirituality. It’s hard to spend the time needed for first-hand experience. Other people’s spirituality benefits you no more than their food.
Paul instructs us, “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts” (Colossians 3:16 NIV).
Many verses describe the benefits of God’s word: cleansing (Psalm 119, John 15:3); delight (Psalm 119:16); life (1 Peter 1:23); strength (Psalm 119:25); hope (Psalm 119:81); direction (Psalm 119:105); understanding (Psalm 119:130); stability (Matthew 24:35); and sanctification (John 17:17).
In addition, God’s word builds you up (Acts 20:32) and teaches you the truth (Ephesians 1:13). It is foolish to neglect it.
How does neglecting God’s word hurt you? Read Mark 1.
30 Feeding Yourself Spiritually (2)
Advertisers entice you to buy products without one percent of the Bible’s intrinsic worth. You purchase things that’ll rust out or wear out. What time do you spend on that which abides forever?
God’s word, like a mirror, shows you your spiritual acne. If you think your spiritual life is fine just as it is, you haven’t been looking in that mirror.
A sheep in summer appears to be white. It no longer looks white seen against the background of the new-fallen snow. If you judge yourself against other selected people, you may feel virtuous. If you judge yourself against Jesus, the verdict is far different.
God gives His word to transform your life. “Don’t conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2 NIV). You need a transformed mind to do God’s will. This reveals why daily time with God is such a struggle.
There’s a colossal battle for your mind between the forces of Christ and those of anti-Christ. It’s won or lost according to who controls input.
Spiritual output is dependent on spiritual input. Thistle seeds don’t produce apple trees. Worldly thinking doesn’t produce spiritual fruit.
Apart from choosing to channel God’s word into your mind, you’ll conform to world thinking as surely as night follows day. Furthermore, you’ll believe you’re a fine, church-attending community pillar. You’ll think just like the non-Christian world does.
Filling your mind with God’s word is an ongoing battle – Satan resists your efforts because he knows that’s how God renews your mind. Your sinful nature isn’t a fan of God’s word either.
Spending quiet time with God might seem unproductive. Usually, the problem is your priorities. You are available for the things you want to do, right?
When is the best time each day for you to spend time with God?
Read Mark 2.
31 Feeding Yourself Spiritually (3)
How can you feed yourself spiritually? Begin with six or seven minutes/day reading the Bible if you’re starting. Add three or four minutes of praying. Soon, you’ll want to spend more time.
Choose the same regular, quiet place to commune with God. Mine is the kitchen table. Go to that place when your mind is sharpest. For me, that’s early in the morning.
Time with God includes reading and digesting His word. Talk with Him about all that concerns you (Philippians 4:6–7). Try to apply at least one truth each day.
Ask what God’s word is saying about your relationships with Him and others. How must your habits, work, witness, finances, and ministry change?
One day I was reading Jeremiah 45. In v. 5 ( NIV) God told Baruch, Jeremiah’s secretary, “Should you then seek great things for yourself? Don’t seek them.” God reminded me that a servant doesn’t seek wonderful things for himself.
My prayer time began with confessing my spotlight-seeking nature. I asked God to renew my desire to serve Him and others humbly.
A study Bible helps me understand what I’m reading. It aids me in applying it to my life. I’ve used a Life Application Bible for my devotional reading for many years. I read the Scripture and all the notes the first time through it.
Now I read the notes if nothing jumps out of the chapter I read for the day. That’s more common when reading the Old Testament than the New Testament.
I write down in 1–3 sentences what stood out for me. I attempt to write at least one personal application.
You’re not automatically a fruitful Christian just because you spend time with God every day. But you limit your fruitfulness if you don’t.
God uses your time with Him to renew your mind and make you more like Jesus.
Personal time with God may seem burdensome in the beginning. Stick with it. The joy comes slowly in trickles.
There’s no substitute for a first-hand spiritual experience with God. There’s no easy, quick way to become like Jesus.
What is the best place for you to spend daily time with God? Do you have a study Bible that will help you understand it? Read Mark 3.