Baptism

LUKE 7:29-30 NIV

(All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus' words, acknowledged that God's way was right, because they had been baptized by John. But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God's purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.)

Which comes first, the chicken or the egg?  Well, of course, the chicken.

But with baptism, I think there is a compounding nature to faith and obedience.  The Lord gives us faith to believe, and then we respond in obedience by being baptized, which I think the Lord somehow uses to secure and compound our faith, so that when we hear his words, we respond in faith and obedience, which gives us more faith.

(Then again, I tend to be fairly quantitative, and I don't know that faith is something to be quantified.)

Heavenly Father, thank you for the faith that you have given me.  Please help me listen to you and respond in obedience.  I love you, and I pray in the name of Jesus.