一切美善的恩典，都是从天父而来。

Seek and you will find. Luke 11:9

寻找，就寻见。-路加福音11章9节

When I was packing up to go home to London, my mother approached me with a gift—one of her rings I had long admired. Surprised, I asked, “What’s this for?” She replied, “I think you should enjoy it now. Why wait until I die? It doesn’t fit me anyway.” With a smile I received her unexpected gift, an early inheritance that brings me joy.

当我在收拾行李准备回伦敦时，母亲走到我身边，把她自己的一枚戒指送给了我，那是一枚我很喜欢的戒指。我惊讶地问：“为什么要送给我呢？”她回答说：“我觉得妳现在就可以拥有这枚戒指，无须等到我死了以后。更何况，我也戴不下这枚戒指了。”于是，我笑着接受这份意想不到的礼物，以感恩的心接受母亲提早的赠与。

My mom gave me a material gift, but Jesus promises that His Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask (Luke 11:13). If parents who are marred with sin can provide necessities (such as fish or eggs) for their children, how much more will our Father in heaven give to His children. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit (John 16:13), we can experience hope, love, joy, and peace even in times of trouble—and we can share these gifts with others.

母亲送给我的是物质方面的礼物，但耶稣则应许我们，天父会将圣灵赐给那些祈求祂的人（路加福音11章13节）。如果我们这些身为罪人的父母，尚且会为孩子提供必需品（如鱼或蛋），我们在天上的父必定会更丰富地赐予祂的儿女。我们藉着上帝所赐的圣灵（约翰福音16章13节） ，即使在困境中，也能经历到盼望、爱、喜乐和平安，而且我们还能与人分享这些恩典。

Growing up, we may have had parents who were unable to love and care for us fully. Or we may have had mothers and fathers who were shining examples of sacrificial love. Or our experience may have been somewhere in between. Whatever we’ve known with our earthly parents, we can hold onto the promise that our heavenly Father loves us unceasingly. He gave His children the gift of the Holy Spirit.

我们在成长过程中，可能有无法完全爱护我们的父母，或者有愿意牺牲自己来爱我们的父母，又或许我们的父母是介于两者之间。但无论我们在世上有怎样的父母，我们都可以坚信这个应许，那就是天父对我们的爱永不止息。祂已将圣灵赐给祂的儿女们。

天父，祢对我们的爱，实在令我们讶异！求祢帮助我们，今天就住在祢的同在中，并与人分享祢的爱。

Luke 11:9-13   NIV

11 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

路加福音 11:9-13 

11 我又告诉你们：你们祈求，就给你们；寻找，就寻见；叩门，就给你们开门。 10 因为凡祈求的，就得着；寻找的，就寻见；叩门的，就给他开门。 11 你们中间做父亲的，谁有儿子求饼，反给他石头呢？求鱼，反拿蛇当鱼给他呢？ 12 求鸡蛋，反给他蝎子呢？ 13 你们虽然不好，尚且知道拿好东西给儿女，何况天父，岂不更将圣灵给求他的人吗？”

INSIGHT

灵粮透视

While mentioned all throughout the New Testament, the mission and work of the Holy Spirit is a particular focus of two key biblical texts: John 14–16 and Romans 8. In John 14–16, we find Jesus’s last teaching time with His followers before going to the cross. There He explained the ministry of the Spirit to the disciples who were reeling from the news that Jesus was going away—and they could not follow. After the Master’s departure, the gift of the Spirit would be to them a helper (14:16), teacher (14:26), and guide (16:13). In a very different setting, Paul tells Christ-followers in Rome that the Holy Spirit has a comprehensive ministry in the life of God’s child. The Spirit empowers (Romans 8:5), leads (v. 14), assures (v. 16), and assists in our prayers (vv. 26–27). The gift of the Spirit is the amazing spiritual resource that God has given to us to enable us to live for Him.

在全本新约中，有两段关键经文特别强调圣灵的使命和作为：约翰福音14-16章和罗马书第8章。在约翰福音14-16章，我们看到耶稣在上十字架前给门徒最后的教导。那时门徒知道耶稣将要离开他们，而他们却不能跟随，便感到忧愁不安，于是耶稣便向他们解释有关圣灵的事。耶稣告诉他们，在祂离开后，上帝会赐下圣灵，来帮助（14章16节）、教导（14章26节）并引导（16章13节）他们。在另一个截然不同的情况中，保罗告诉罗马的基督徒，圣灵在上帝儿女的生命中会施展全面的作为。圣灵会加给我们力量（罗马书8章5节）、引导我们（14节）、给我们保证（16节），并在祷告中帮助我们（26-27节）。圣灵的恩赐乃是上帝赐给我们的奇妙属灵资源，使我们能够为祂而活。

整理：于姊妹