Read Matthew 3:1-12

Thursday

Read Matthew 3:1-12

At that time John the Baptist came to the desert of Judea and started preaching. ²“Turn away from your sins,” he said, “because the Kingdom of heaven is near!” ³John was the man the prophet Isaiah was talking about when he said:

“Someone is shouting in the desert,

‘Prepare a road for the Lord;

make a straight path for him to travel!’ ”

4 John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair; he wore a leather belt round his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵People came to him from Jerusalem, from the whole province of Judea, and from all the country near the River Jordan. ⁶They confessed their sins, and he baptized them in the Jordan.

7 When John saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to him to be baptized, he said to them, “You snakes—who told you that you could escape from the punishment God is about to send? ⁸Do those things that will show that you have turned from your sins. ⁹And don’t think you can escape punishment by saying that Abraham is your ancestor. I tell you that God can take these stones and make descendants for Abraham! ¹⁰The axe is ready to cut down the trees at the roots; every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown in the fire. ¹¹I baptize you with water to show that you have repented, but the one who will come after me will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. He is much greater than I am; and I am not good enough even to carry his sandals. ¹²He has his winnowing shovel with him to thresh out all the grain. He will gather his wheat into his barn, but he will burn the chaff in a fire that never goes out.”

Think

Bear fruit worthy of repentance.'

'God is able from theses stones to raise up children to Abraham.'

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.  For trees to bear appropriate fruit is to act like the father (seed) that gave them life. 

Pray

Lord - take up my heart of stone - and fashion it into a 'child of Abraham', a child of you.  Today - help me to identify the sharp bits:

Selfishness.

Stubbornness.

Impatience...