Since we are commanded to crave the word of God in this text, our degree of craving can be used as a spiritual barometer, so to speak, of the condition of our hearts in the pursuit of the Lord. We know we’re not going to have the same discernible desire 24/7, 365 days of year because of our sin and weakness, but we can assess the trajectory of our lives by if we resemble newborn babes in our desire for the pure, unadulterated Word of God. It follows that if that craving is nonexistent or not growing over the long haul, that 1 Peter text clearly identifies the issue—there are competing personal pursuits that are ruling our hearts, crowding out desires for God. The only other explanation for a lack of desire is that someone does not possess the Spirit of God, because the Spirit is promised to lead us to the truth and thus exalt Christ in our lives.
What prevents a longing for the Word
