And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway, and He commanded to give her meat. Luke 8:55
On April 29, 1903, more than 70 people died when part of Turtle Mountain broke away and buried a large part of the community of Frank, Alberta. The disaster became known as the Frank Slide. Before the disaster occurred, a coal mine was in operation near the town, and several men working in the coal mine were among the casualties. Rescue efforts after the slide managed to pull a number of people from the rocks and rubble, including at least three babies. A couple of weeks after the slide, workers managed to reach the opening to the coal mine. To their surprise, they found a mule still alive, and waiting to be rescued. Instead of bringing the mule the water and food that he needed, they set to work to move the animal to safer ground. As a result, the mule that survived the slide did not survive the rescue. When you and I were rescued from sin, we also needed food for our souls to allow us to survive.
Amid the details of the miracle of raising the dead girl to life, we see the command by the Lord Jesus to give her food. There was no delay; this command was given as soon as she arose. She had been given life, so that she could rise up from her sick bed. But the Lord Jesus made sure that she received the nourishment that her body needed to function. We can relate to this when we consider our conversion. As soon as we were saved, we had an appetite for the Word of God. In my own case, I an thankful that I was given a Bible, so that I might read it and grow. We found fellowship with other believers to be desirable and profitable. Those who taught us the Word of God provided us with guidance and direction in our new life. They were following the directions of the Lord Jesus to provide spiritual nourishment to those who have been given life.
It is true that new believers need to desire, and obtain, the sincere milk of the Word. It is true that they must feed on the Word of God for themselves, to apply themselves to the spiritual things that they can now discern. But in our text we note that the Lord Jesus did not direct the girl to the pantry or send her to the grocery store. No, He gave her parents instructions to provide her what was needed. We can take those instructions for ourselves, as we encounter new believers. Preachers who see blessing in salvation during a series of Gospel meetings in new areas often spend considerable time in that community teaching the new believers. For new believers who are saved during meetings in our halls, it becomes the responsibility of the Assembly and its members to provide the necessary food. If we fail to provide it, we disobey our Lord’s command.
Like all Christians, new believers need spiritual food if they are to survive. Can we give them what they need? –Jim MacIntosh