Nursing Baby

552.  "Nursing Baby"                           June 29, 2012
1 Peter 2-Part 1
If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is graciious.  1 Peter 2:3
LET IT GLOW
This week there was a baby calf born on the farm. It was only a day old when I saw it, black with a white spot on its face, wabbly legs, long eyelashes. So sweet. It even let me pet it. It seemed to have a problem keeping up with its mamma moving around the field in the 100 degree heat though. Yesterday, the newborn couldn't find her, followed part of the herd and lay under the shade tree by the house. It lay seperated from mamma all day, in the corner, hungry I'm sure. The calf's mamma finally nursed it. Then it was like a miracle, That little fella was running around the field so spry and full of energy as it followed mamma. What a change occurred! Isn't it that the way when we experience God's graciousness? We carry around a heavy load of sin, confused, defeated, then we get some grace and we are full of energy, ready to go meet the world.

I do not think there is any question about it-God is gracious! I am so glad He doesn't give me what I deserve-hell.
God is gracious and merciful (2Ch.30:9, Neh. 9:17, Ps. 103:8, Joel 2:13)
God is gracious and full of compassion ((Ps.111:4; 145:8).
Gracious, used in our key verse, means manageable, mild, pleasant- of persons, kind, benevolent- of God. (Thayer's Lexicon)
At salvation, all believers experience how gracious the Lord is to those who trust Him. That should compel believers to seek more of that grace in pursuing His Word.  (MacArthur)
How often do I pursue His Word? Am I gracious towards others like my heavenly Father is toward me?
LET IT GROW
Wherefore, laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby...
! Peter 2:1-2

Peter tells me to lay aside a few things, sins, in my life and desire the Word of God.
Lay aside means to change clothes. As Paul put in in Ephesians 4:22, put off the old man and put on the new man like a suit of clothes. As Christians, we must take off the ragged and filthy clothes of sin: malice, hypocrisy, deceit, envy, and slander.  (Falwell)
The Christian's new life can't grow unless sins are renounce. When that purging takes place, then the Word does its work. (MacArthur)
What sins am I told to lay aside? Peter tells what evil behavior am I supposed to get rid of:

• Malice means ill-will, desire to injure; wickedness that comes from within a person;
• Guile means deceit; craft, cunning;
• Hypocricises means false pretention to personal qualities or principles not usually possessed;
• Envies  means ill-will combined with jealousy, spite;
• All evil speakings refers to all unkind speech.

It sounds like Peter is dealing with attitudes toward others. If I love them, I won't be jealous of others, nor want to be unkind toward them, returning evil but love.

Peter says I should crave pure spiritual milk like newborn babies do. that is so I will grow into a full experience of salvation. I should cry out for this nourishment, now that I have had a taste of the Lord's kindness. He is kind and gracious to me every day.

[Resources: Thayer's Lexicon, Webster's Dictionary, New Living Translation]

Am I hungering for the milk of the Word or the meat? 

LET IT GO

Replace jealousy with love for others.

Turn the other cheek when I am wronged or hurt.

Hunger for the meat of the Word of God.

Be gracious today.