This morning I read Luke 23:42-43, "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.”

The Lord used this verse to REALLY speak to me today. There may be times when I think (mistakenly) that I'm better than this thief…but I'm not. I'm just as bad and probably worse! This thief is actually representative of me. I was under condemnation, death was my just reward…but there was that day, I was hanging on my cross, dying, without hope, and I somehow mustered up the simple words to ask Jesus to remember me in His kingdom – acknowledging my sin and my need for the Savior. It was then that He said to me, "I promise, you will be with me in heaven, forever."

Saved, just like that, the thief lost his grief…through simple…heartfelt belief. How 'bout you?