Week 7 - Day 7 - The Power Of The Cross
|
The Eleventh Hour Power Of The Cross.(Luke 23:39-43, NKJV)
Verse: “Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, ‘If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.’ But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you today, you will be with Me in Paradise.'” (Luke 23:39-43, NKJV)
Reflection:
We have already understood the power of repentance in a previous week, but this is the perfect example of repentance in it’s purest form.
People who have heard my testimony know that I lived fully ensconced in the world with all it’s temptations. I have spoken of how this existence always left me feeling hungrier and more empty. It got so bad for me that, drowning in debt and locked in my addiction, I could not see any purpose and wanted out.
As an atheist I started plotting my own demise and as I approached the date I had set to take my own life, God intervened at the very last minute after a lifetime of showing me a better way- a way that I kept ignoring.
In the lead up to that dreadful day of departure God worked through my youngest daughter to ask me the biggest question of my life. Having told me she was about to become a Muslim and then listening to my tirade of anger at her decision, she asked me that big question. “Before you criticise me for my spiritual choices you better tell me what you believe in?”
I told her I would have to think about that and I would get back to her in a week. That week I looked at everything I took for granted through a questioning lens. Looking at the world from thirty eight thousand feet through a “DOES GOD EXIST’ lens was a profound way to fly.
It was because of that week that I came to the conclusion that there must be a God but I didn’t like religion. I had all my life; overlayed the cloud of the works of men in God’s name over the very face of God to the extent that I could not see Him.
Months later as my departure date drew to be only days away, I surrendered to Jesus in a miraculous way and my life has never looked back. That was in 2006. Since then God has brought miracle after miracle and the most amazing people I have ever met, to walk this journey with me. Ten days before my set date to exit, He brought my now wife Michelle into my life and together we walk with Him in a life of love and service of others.
Jesus came into me when I was about to free fall to my death. As I was leaning over the abyss, His hand grabbed my belt and pulled me back. He whispered into my ear saying “not now, I have something better for you to do.” And now I am writing devotionals of encouragement to many people I have never met.
God never wastes a hurt.
In this verse from the account of Luke, we witness a profound interaction between Jesus and two criminals who were crucified alongside Him. While one criminal mocks Jesus, the other acknowledges his own guilt and Jesus’s innocence. This repentant thief, in his final moments, demonstrates remarkable faith and humility to receive the greatest of all promises.
This is available to you too through the power of the cross.
- Self-Reflection: Do I recognise my own shortcomings and sins before God? Am I willing to humble myself and seek His forgiveness, like the repentant thief?
- Faith in Adversity: When facing difficulties or challenges, do I turn to God in faith, trusting in His mercy and grace? How can I strengthen my faith even amidst adversity?
- Promise of Salvation: How does Jesus’s response to the repentant thief offer hope and assurance to me personally? How does this promise of salvation impact my perspective on life and eternity?
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, Papa God.
Thank you for the example of the repentant thief, who found redemption through faith in Jesus even in his darkest hour. Help me to humble myself before You, acknowledging my sins and seeking Your forgiveness. Strengthen my faith, Lord, especially in times of trial, that I may trust in Your mercy and grace. Thank you for the promise of salvation through Jesus Christ, and may it continually shape my perspective and guide my life. In Jesus’s name we pray, Amen.
Graham Hood.
