Today

Today you shall be with me in Paradise.  Luke 23:43

While reading Jesus' conversation with one of the criminals as they hung side by side on their crosses I was struck by the different attitudes of the 2 criminals.  One man was harsh and unrepentant, the other's heart was soft and discerning.  The latter admitted he deserved his punishment, but somehow he also knew that Jesus had no place being on that cross, that His punishment was totally undeserved. Perhaps he had been around in the background when Jesus was teaching and his heart had been stirred, but too late to save him from the full force of the law.

As the hard-hearted criminal derided Jesus along with the crowd, this one chided him then spoke directly to Jesus.  "Lord, remember me, when you come into your kingdom."  Jesus' reply was instant and reassuring, "Today you will be with me in paradise."

Today!  The sceptic who knows the Bible may say, "Ah, but the Bible says that Jesus did not immediately go to heaven, he visited the captives in hell, then he wandered the earth for 40 days, appearing to the disciples and others during that time."

That is all true, but Jesus was God in the flesh, and God dwells in eternity.  Where He is it is always TODAY.  When scripture says in Hebrews 3:7-8 ​​“Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion....", that tense never changes.  If you missed the boat yesterday and hardened your heart or failed again in overcoming a weakness, you have a new opportunity today! The Bible says that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, TODAY and forever (Hebrews 13:8).  It also says that His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:23). Hallelujah!

Our God is the God of TODAY, and He is the God of all comfort and mercy.  There is no reason at all why you have to live in your past or remain stuck in your failure.  He makes all things new.  We just have to pick ourselves up, shake off the 'dirt' and come to Him for mercy and grace today. (Hebrews 4:16).  If He could do it for a criminal condemned to die, He can and will do it for you.  Don't wallow in your failure, rejoice in his forgiveness.... TODAY.

Prayer:  Dear Lord, thank you that today is always a new opportunity to walk in the joy of your forgiveness and love.  Help me not to beat myself up over my failures but rather to rejoice in the joy and freedom that your forgiveness brings.  Amen

Freedom

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Galatians 5:1

What do you think of when confronted with the word freedom? Do you thank God that you live in a free country: free to vote, to worship, to marry whomever you choose, to live where you want to live and work at your choice of job?  Yes we have many freedoms not afforded to people in other countries.

As I was reminded of this verse today I thought of  people that we come across all the time who are not really free.  Even though they know Jesus Christ, our freedom-giver, they are still bound in many ways.  The sad thing is that some of them even like their captivity.  It's their comfortable place, and to move out of their captivity poses a threat.  They don't know how they will handle it so they are not willing to take the risk.  Yes, they talk about it, they plan for it but they never quite do it. That's because Satan, the deceiver has told them that freedom will be difficult, short-lived, not attainable and any number of other lies with which he keeps them bound.

So what are some of those bondages? At the risk of making myself unpopular I need to be honest and, at the same time look at my own life to see if there are areas where I am not free.  I'm sure there are.  The bondage of emotional baggage is often at the root of things like wanting to control others, hoarding, obsessive compulsive disorders, eating disorders, chronic illness and weakness.  Emotional baggage results from many things. Abuse, (verbal, sexual or physical), trauma, unresolved grief, unresolved anger, bullying, unfair punishment, unforgiveness...... the list is endless but the torment doesn't have to be. Jesus came to set the captives free and that means any kind of captive.

A captive is one who is locked in. We can be locked into a mindset that is often rooted in believing a lie.  Somewhere deep in our psyche a lie has found its home in us, maybe even when we were a child, through the way we have been treated.  These lies give Satan an open door to build a structure in our thinking that can affect the way we do life forever. He builds a prison and keeps us locked into the lie. We wonder why we can't change our bad habits, attitudes, insecurities.  It's because we are a prisoner.  There is a lie we have believed that we need to uncover, reject and replace with God's truth.  Only then, when we begin to believe the truth can we make the journey into continuing and growing freedom that Christ died for us to receive.

Are you brave enough today to take an honest look inwards and ask Jesus to show you if there is any area of captivity in your life that is stopping you from walking in full freedom?  If so, spend time in His presence, ask him if there is anyone you need to forgive in order to gain your freedom.  It may be even be yourself.

Lord Jesus,  would you shine your light into my heart.  Show me any lie I have believed about myself or others.  Give me a revelation of your truth to replace the lie and help me walk in the freedom that you died for me to walk in.  Amen