God spoke to Abram in a vision. He promised Abram protection and a reward, but Abram was concerned because he had no offspring, and his only heir would be the offspring of his slave servant. Then God told Abram that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars. When Abram looked towards heaven, he saw and believed Him, the Lord counted it as righteousness. Abram followed God's instructions and made a sacrifice of animals and birds. In the most terrifying darkness, God appeared in a flaming fire. Accepting Abram's sacrifices, God made a covenant with Abram, outlining the land on which his descendants would live.

Jesus warned the people about false prophets who appear to be one thing but are really something else. ‘Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves (v15). They are vultures, devoid of compassion'. How would the people know a false prophet? By their fruit! People who promise one thing and do another are hypocrites. We experience promises and agreements that are made with verbosity, without actions. We heed someone who performs the teachings of Jesus and nourishes our Church community. We too need to be true to what we profess and live out the Gospel in our actions. By listening to God's word in the Scriptures and by giving God the opportunity to speak to us in our prayer, we avoid risks of falsehood.