Verse 1:
The story of Simon Peter sinking helped me to realize that if I don't put my faith in Jesus, I will sink into the deepest pit of the unknown. Who knows all the creatures that wait under the sea to eat our bodies? Who knows all the daemons that wait under our sin to destroy our souls? We just need to take that step of faith and we're saved.

Verse 2:
When Jesus healed the daemon-possessed man, the Pharisees doubted that it was actually by the Spirit of God. We doubt that Jesus can do that, too, though we've seen all that he has and continues to do. All we have to do is choose Jesus to be welcomed into his family.

Verse 3:
Jesus has been calling us this whole time asking us to finally put our faith in him and choose his ways. Some haven't responded the entire time. Others have responded but have forgotten. Regardless, Jesus invites us into his family at any stage of our lives. He's dying to adopt us. He's died to do just that.

Chorus:
Jesus welcomes us as we finally come to him. If we ask for him, we will receive him. If we seek him, we will find him. That's all it takes.

Overall:
I had just spent the day with my family to celebrate my cousin's bat-mitzvah - a rite signifying the becoming of a Jewish adult - and I had a blast. My immediate family is always so much fun to be around, and on top of that all of my mom's family is wonderful also. I got home that night so happy, knowing that I have such a wonderful family here on earth. Then I got to thinking, "My belonging to God's family far surpasses all of this! And I deserve that so much less!" At that moment, I heard God whisper, "Welcome to my family," and I knew that even though I didn't deserve it, I was invited. Much like Simon Peter and the Pharisees, we have all doubted the existence of God in our lives, but the door is forever open to us all.

Matthew 7:7-8
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."

Matthew 12:22-28
"Then they brought him a demon possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. All the people were astonished and said, "Could this be the Son of David?" But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, "It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons." Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? And if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you."

Matthew 14:22-33
"Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God.""

Matthew 28:20b
"And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

1 Timothy 2:3-4
"This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."

"Welcome to My Family" written by Ryan Kavalsky, © March 06, 2005