Better than waking up

Today you will be with me in paradise. v. 43

Have you ever felt that your life was ruined as a result of having done something embarrassing, shameful, or even criminal — only to wake up and realize it was just a dream? But what if it wasn’t just a nightmare? What if the situation was all too real — either for yourself or someone you love?

This is the situation confronted in George MacDonald’s 19th-century novel The Curate’s Awakening. It’s the story of a parish minister who discovers that he’s been speaking for a God he’s not even sure he believes in. Later, he is called to the bedside of a young man who is losing his mind and dying, haunted by a murder he has committed.

In the heart-rending struggle that follows, the minister discovers what we all need to see. The relief of waking up from a bad dream is nothing compared to waking to the reality of God’s forgiveness, which we once thought was too good to be true.

Where will we find the mercy we need? It is found in Jesus, who, from His own cross said to a dying criminal who turned to Him for help, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). — Mart DeHaan

Father in heaven, please help us to believe that our forgiveness is as real as the price You paid for our rescue. READ: Luke 23:33-43 We are saved by God’s mercy, not by our merit. Bible in a Year: Isaiah 17-19 and Ephesians 5:17-33