Even in His death, Jesus was thinking of you and me. He was preparing a way for us to know the Father and for us to receive His gift of salvation.

It was no mistake that Jesus was crucified between two thieves. One was repentant, and the other blasphemed the Lord.

One believed, and the other denied the Truth of God. One accepted God’s wondrous gift of mercy and grace; the other turned his back on the offer and lost his soul.

There is no escaping the Truth. We can choose eternal life or settle for an endless death that is far worse than any torment we can imagine. The two men that hung dying beside the Savior could be any one of us.

Just like them, we must make a choice. God has chosen to save all men, but not everyone will come to Him. Those who do will immediately be saved and will spend eternity enjoying the love and intimate devotion of our Heavenly Father. Those who don’t will spend an eternity separated from Him.

Joshua challenged the nation of Israel with these words:

If serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15).

Prayer: Lord, I want to serve You and You alone. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).