February 9
Scripture of the day: "Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food." Hebrews 5:11-12
Thought of the day: The author of Hebrews wanted to compare Jesus to Melchizedek. But it was difficult to do because the Hebrew believers had become dull of hearing ... spiritually deaf. Enough time had passed for them to become teachers ... but they needed to be taught the basics again. They needed milk. Their spiritual stomachs could no longer digest solid food. Comparing Jesus to Melchizedek is solid food ... not baby food.
Challenge of the day: Spiritual atrophy is all too common among older believers. New believers enthusiastically drink in the milk of the Word. They grow and begin to take in solid spiritual food. However, something happens as time passes. The busyness of life, even the busyness of church-life, overtakes some of them. Their output exceeds their input ... and their upkeep becomes their downfall. Spiritual atrophy sets in. Their spiritual muscles begin to waste away in progressive degeneration. Wouldn't it be interesting if we all dressed on Sunday morning in keeping with our spiritual maturity? What would you be wearing?
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