Today is a national celebration that has been around for a while – sort of. In October 1915, The International Association of Milk Inspectors (IAMI) approached Congress, requesting a day that would recognize milk and the milk producers across America. Today is National Milk Day, however, nobody can figure out why or when this became a celebration. No record can be found that Congress ever acted on the request made by the IAMI.
So why was today chosen to celebrate milk? “Many think the first milk deliveries in glass bottles began on this day in 1878 in the United States. Alexander Campbell of the New York Dairy Company professed to the New York State Senate that his company was the first to make these deliveries in 1878.”1
Some of us are old enough to remember when milk was delivered to our homes in those glass bottles. Benner Dairy was a fixture in Bryan, and I still have one of the Benner Dairy milk boxes. For any youngsters reading this, the box is made of aluminum with fiberboard insulation inside. The milkman would make his rounds, delivering bottles of milk every week.
“According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, the United States produced 56.08 billion pounds of milk in October 2023.2 The annual production of milk for the United States during 2020 was 223 billion pounds.”3 On average, a gallon of milk weighs 8.6 pounds. This varies according to whether it’s whole milk, 2%, 1%, or skim. That is 1.9 trillion gallons of milk, an astronomical amount to fathom. One dairy cow produces roughly 2,000 gallons of milk per year. Therefore, it took 950 million dairy cows to give us that amount.
Way to go, Bessie!
Today, Christians, let’s celebrate milk. Not the white, lactose-laden liquid in your glass. 1 Peter 2:2-3 says, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: (3) If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” The milk of Scripture is the elementary teachings necessary for the baby Christian to grow. It’s the easy portions of Scripture that don’t require chewing. You just allow those sweet drops to trickle down your throat as you accept the nourishment they provide.
As wonderful as milk is, though, we can’t be sustained as adults on a diet of milk alone. One of the earliest signs of growth in a baby is that they come off the milk quickly and start wanting more savory delicacies. Milk becomes something that washes everything else down. The child may start with some baby cereal before progressing to those yummy jars of pureed Gerber baby foods. Before long, they are eating at the table with everyone else, enjoying a hamburger, hotdog, pizza, and anything else that is served.
As we get older, our palates change again, and tastes become more sophisticated. Hamburgers might become filet mignon. Mrs. Paul’s fish sticks are now lemon-roasted salmon with escarole, asparagus, and potatoes. Hotdogs might be fine for a ballgame but a meal of pork chops stuffed with smoked gouda and bacon sounds pretty good! Pizza? Well, that’s fine anytime, regardless of your age.
What does this have to do with Scripture? In Hebrews 5:12-14, we read, “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. (13) For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. (14) But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”
Spiritual growth means we can handle – and hunger for more than milk. Do we still love the milk of God’s Word? Absolutely. But we cannot subsist on the milk. We need the meaty proteins of God’s Word to build our spiritual muscles.
Eat well today, Christian, from the meat of the Word of God. Then, wash it all down with a cold glass of God’s delicious milk. The Bible is a complete, nutritious meal every day. Don’t neglect it!
1https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/national-day/national-milk-day-january-11
2https://data.nass.usda.gov/dairy/milk-production/
3https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/Todays_Reports/reports/mkpr0221.pdf
