Today in the One Year Bible, we read from Luke 23:13-43. The last verse in this passage is where Jesus promises the thief on the cross that "Today, you will be with me in paradise." First, we should acknowledge the self possession and faith that Jesus is demonstrating in this moment. Not only is He absolutely certain that HE will be in paradise that day, He also knew that He had the power to promise that the thief would be there, too. That He had the authority to grant that favor.
But then we realize what He's done. He has entered into the worst of the bad moments of a person's life - a thief being brutally killed for crimes that he in fact committed - and redeemed the moment to be a story told every year for the rest of time. And he took the thief with Him into paradise.
God does that in our lives too. He doesn't usually take away the consequences of our bad choices. The thief did still die on the cross. But He enters into that suffering with us. And then, in response to our faith in Who He is, He promises to bring us to heaven with Him. And He delivers on that promise. Heaven and earth will pass away, but His promises will not.
God, thank You for entering into the hells of our lives that we deserve and suffering with us, and then lifting us into heaven with You.
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