Sage, my teenage son, works at a family-owned dairy farm down the road from us. It has been a high-protein life experience for him to learn about all the love and dedication that go into producing an 8-ounce glass of milk.

He liked drinking milk before he met the “gals” down at the dairy, but now he likes it even more. It seems like every other day I hear him yelling from the kitchen,

“We need more milk!”

In the New Testament, both Peter and Paul used milk as a metaphor for spiritual nourishment. But for Paul it was not a compliment when he told the believers at Corinth they were still on milk like “infants,” when they should have already moved on to solids (I Corinthians 3:1-2).

Peter, on the other hand, used milk to illustrate the rich and nutritious spiritual benefits of God’s Word. He seems to suggest that all of us, regardless of our level of spiritual maturity, should maintain a baby-like craving for the milk of God’s Word:

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.
—I Peter 2:2-3

In other words, the Bible is to our spiritual development what milk is to a newborn’s vitality…absolutely essential.

So, whether you are a newbie Christian or a long-termer, be sure and get your muscle milk today. You need the spiritual protein. Take a few moments to read your Bible, whether it’s just a few verses or a few chapters. Ask God to help you understand what you’re reading and how you can apply it to your life. (If you’re just getting started, the Gospel of John is a great entry point.)

Sage is right, “We need more milk!”

It’s a new day with God. Run with it.