Stealing Heaven

"Turning to Jesus, he said, 'Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom.' Jesus replied, 'Truly, you will be with me today in paradise.'" - Luke 23:42-43

At the time of His crucifixion, Jesus was put between two criminals. One mocked Jesus telling Him to bring Himself down if He was really a prophet, while the other asked Jesus to remember him. I love this verse because it shows how loving and merciful God is. This criminal had to have done something really bad to deserve a death on the cross and he even told the other thief to leave Jesus alone because they did deserve their punishments, unlike Jesus. But this just goes to show that to God, it doesn't matter what you've done. You could be the worst person ever, but the second you repent from the heart, you become pure and win God's complete forgiveness. This thief was just about to die and if he hadn't repented, he would have gone to hell, but instead he recognized his own faults before Jesus and asked Him for help. Not only did he receive forgiveness because of this, but he also won an immediate entry into Heaven

In our lives we definitely do feel that our sins are without forgiveness at times. We think that we've done something so bad that we don't deserve to seek God or go to church, but the example of the thief proves us wrong. It does not matter what you've done. If you are truly sorry and repented from the heart, you win God's forgiveness and acceptance. Be thankful that the only One who can truly judge us is a much fairer judge than we are.

Today's Prayer:
Thank You Lord for being so loving and forgiving. Help me to see how easy it is to be Your friend and help me to never forget Your kindness. In Your Name we pray, Amen.