Got (Spiritual) Milk?

We are not hungry for what we don’t know. I’ve said it before, you can have a taste of the truth, but not a taste for the truth. It’s the analogy Peter gives in 1 Peter 2:2-3 “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation — if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.”

He puts a challenge out at the end of that phrase: “If indeed…”

I tasted the goodness of the Lord in a significant way at two points in my life. Both times I was at my worst. The brunt of my mental illness caught me off guard both times and I stumbled over my insanity and yearned to make sense of life in many ways: mentally (of course), physically (for my body to cooperate under the direction of my imbalanced brain) and spiritually (my mind to comprehend the truth and power of God’s word). What stands out to me during this time is that I may have been in a state of confusion, but it was at this time that God was so real to me, and His goodness so palpable. How He was so real and present amazed me then, and amazes me now.

In a few ways, my faith matured and grew because of the following factors:

1. Abandonment to God – total reliance on Him. “I need thee every hour, every hour I need thee…” the old hymn goes. And I reminded myself of that constantly in this state of duress. It was a wrestling match with my flesh and spirit while my mind was so intoxicated by madness, but God was the only thing — only person — I could truly turn to in order to trust for my needs.
2. Uninhibited behaviors – no pretentious facade about myself. With me off my medications, I quickly became prey to the enemy. But at the same time I didn’t care who heard me praying, or who knew I was madly and deeply in love with Jesus. I wish I had that same fervor now.
3. Praying heavily and fervently, full of faith and love. It was as if I was in direct contact – real time – high def – all that, when I prayed. It was as if I was in the presence of Jesus in my prayer closet. Now, I pray consistently, but more like I’d like Him to dispense His help, instead of needing His grace to just breathe.
4. The promises of God proving true. Reading God’s words and then them coming true happened more frequently. He made everything work to the good (Romans 8:28), He healed me (Isaiah 53:5), He guarded me as my good shepherd (Psalm 23), His grace was sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9), He gave me a spirit of love, power and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7) and I could go on.

With this mix, I tasted and saw how good God is. He salted my life with his promises and lit my path with his presence.

Without His love, I am nothing. He showed up at the eleventh hour and manifested His nourishing spiritual milk in my life. And for that, it did my body, spirit and mind, good.