Chapter 3

"And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham."

While John was baptizing people, he saw the Pharisees approaching and spoke to them the words in Matthew 3:9, warning them that their assurance does not lie in Abraham. For those who were raised up in Christian homes, you understand this phenomenon well, as do I. I remember as a kid having this attitude of, "I don't need to know that, that's for my parents to think about. Well, turns out these Pharisees were also childish in their walk with God. God desires us to build a personal relationship with Him

A tree can only withstand so much based on how deep its roots are. Just like a tree, our spiritual thirsts after God, desiring to be deeper in God. "As the deer panteth for the water, so my soul longeth after thee". This is a popular song/hymn that emphasizes the importance of our dependence on God. A personal relationship with God enables a seamless flow of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. The opposite is true as well.

Our prayer today is that God may draw us close to Him and give us the strength and boldness to draw close to Him as well. We pray that our walk with God will not be affected by any form of shame from our peers or social groups, but that we will always seek him and seek to grow deeper in Him. Amen.