Thoughts for another day

Aug. 30, 2011

Today's verse: Dan. 9:9. To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him; (KJV)

(Pls. read the above before you read further. Thanks)

One thief of the two crucified with Christ knew even as he was hanging on the cross that here was Something that couldn't have been.  He was face to face with Truth and was edified in His Presence and also at that time, saw the key to his being taken into heaven.  Now the other thief could see nothing that he saw and therefore ridiculed Jesus, crying in a similar manner as those below, trying as it were to gain favor from the crowd that had collected there in his final hours of life.  And even though the Savior of the world was next to him, he couldn't see his salvation!

This upset the earlier thief and he cried to his thief-friend, 'Do you not fear God, as you are similarly condemned. And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing wrong.'  Then turning to Jesus he said, 'Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.'  Now Jesus you may recall, was scourged beyond human ability to endure and had by that time lost all of His blood, yet, He Who holds all mercy and forgiveness, turned with much pain toward the man.  In a trice the sins of the man were washed clean by Jesus' blood and Jesus told him, 'Today, you will be with Me in Paradise.'  

I brought to you this real example from Scripture to highlight how merciful our God is and how He forgives us our sins despite being rebelled against.  Every sin we commit offends His infinite goodness, and makes Him cringe in pain.  His heart suffers at our callous nature towards Him yet, He never says a thing.  He suffers silently, as the father of the Prodigal Son, in the parable Jesus tells the people.  And when He senses that we're prepared to repent and turn from sin, He lets loose the hose of His mercy and forgiveness toward us so we can soak in His mercy and love.  He runs to us, again like the father of the son we spoke above, and holds us in His arms, saying, 'My child, My love, never part from Me again.'