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Wednesday, our cell group discussion centered around doing the will of God and walking by the Spirit. We read Matthew 26:36-46, Philippians 2:1-11, and Galatians 5:16-26. There were fruitful discussions about the cup that Jesus prayed would pass from Him, where faith comes from, and whether we need more faith or if we just have to exercise what we have.
Faith became the focus of the evening as did this passage.
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
Luke 11:13 repeats this final Word as follows, "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Faith is still the issue. I haven't been asking, seeking and knocking recently. I have been accepting. Accepting sometimes requires faith in the sovereignty of God. But, God wants me to exercise my faith. I know this.
Thursday morning, a friend posted this on fb. I was floored at the exactness of this message in addressing what we talked about. The final analogy of 70% diet and 30% exercise was a perfect period on the conversation, or so I thought.
An hour or so later, a new/old friend called. She went to high school with me. Now, she's joining our homeschool group and we're getting to know one another. She has her own mountains to move. Really. I told her that talking to a new homeschooler (just like a new believer) is refreshing and brings excitement to my own journey. Her response was profound. She said, "I'm a new believer. I learn something new and get to believe anew all the time." {She got saved at 8 years old!!} I'm still carrying the excitement of those words with me. Faith is new all the time, that is, unless I'm not using it AT ALL.
I am a new believer, too...
and there is no period on this conversation
