When people are well fed, they become more discerning about the food that they eat.  In affluent societies, people will consider the flavour and texture of food as well as its nutritional value, rather than simply eating to stay alive. Many will establish their own gardens, or shop for ‘organically grown‘ foods, to ensure the quality of the food they eat. There are also those within these societies who choose to fill themselves with ’junk food’, because it is conveniently packaged and requires no effort on their part. 

The same is true in our spiritual lives.

​

Are we well nourished and discerning about what we consume, or have we become lazy?  It is all too easy to go down to our local ‘take away’ every Sunday morning for a neatly packaged meal.  We may well get our weekly sugar rush - but is there any nutritional value in it at all?  This is what we must determine ourselves, through prayer and constant use of the truth.  The apostle Peter wrote, “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation”. (1 Peter 2:2)  And the Corinthian church was told, “I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.”(1 Cor. 3:2).

​

It is also written, “In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again.  You need milk, not solid food!  Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." (Heb. 5:12-14)   

​

This also applies to believers in Batemans Bay and Australia at large; “though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again.”  Are we in Batemans Bay ready for “solid food”?   Have we “trained ourselves to distinguish good from evil”?

The Jews in Berea were commended for examining the truth of what was presented to them, even though it came from an apostle.  It says, “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” (Acts 17:11).  They examined the scriptures every day!  They did not simply consume everything that was put in front of them.  They wanted to be sure that it was beneficial.  That is, they wanted to be sure that it was the truth!