The Thief

This has not been an easy year. In fact, it may be one of the toughest of my life. I have uprooted my family, physically moved to the center of the country for four months where I got seeped in the Word and prayer as God rearranged my heart.

Then we took off again for 8 months of non-stop travel. As of this writing we have been in 14 countries in four months and 10 states in two months. We still have two months of travel left.

I have been tired, hot, sweaty, smelly, hungry, thirsty, lonely, scared, frightened, homesick, sad, heartbroken and devastated. I haven’t slept in my own bed in almost a year. I have gone through at least seven employees in my business. I have doubted every part of my life and almost every decision I have ever made.

Needless to say, God has been working on me this year.

But through it all, there has always been a thread of encouragement from the Lord. Twice in my darkest times, the Lord has sent a messenger to me, (each time a total stranger who walked up and shared a “word from the Lord”) and encouraged me directly concerning my pain. More times than I can count, God has surprised us with encounters with individuals that have given me hope that their life will be different because we have been obedient to this call.

This past week as I listened to Third Day’s song "The Thief", I realized how God had also encouraged Jesus in His darkest time. The song is about the thief who was crucified with Christ…

Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." Luke 23:42-43

I have always seen that story from the thief’s perspective. But God showed me how He also used the thief that day.

Imagine you are Jesus. You have lived a good life. You have sacrificed a “normal” life and have spent your time sharing the love of your Father with others. Many doubt you are real. Some think you are from Satan. You heal the sick. You cast demons out of children, women and men. You raise the dead. You feed the hungry. You answer the deep questions that many hunger for an answer about. You even fast for 40 days!

In the end one of your dear friends (whom you trusted with your money) betrays you. The rest of your friends leave and deny you. You are arrested, ridiculed and beaten. You knew this was coming and you have accepted your call to do this so others will benefit, but as you hang on the cross doubt starts to creep in. You are physically within hours of death and emotionally you have been battered by everyone.

Can you hang on to the end without crying out for God to rescue you?

Don’t you want to give up?

Then the thief next to you, a man who has possibly never loved a day in his life suddenly sees the truth. He recognizes you are the Messiah and humbly asks you to remember him. You realize this is one whose eternal life will be different IF you can complete the task before you.

All we know after this exchange with the thief is that three hours passed. Jesus suffered and bled three more hours, quietly. I believe that the encouragement from the thief was what God used to help Jesus make it those last three hours. It was the ray of hope Jesus needed and he held onto that until the end.

If God will provide encouragement to His son (a man and God) as He suffers, He will also provide encouragement for us (mere humans who are needier).

I love the Lord.

I am beginning to even love His ways (they are so much higher than mine).

Here are the Lyrics to this powerfully moving song:

I am a thief, I am a murderer Walking up this lonely hill.

What have I done?

I don't remember.

No one knows just how I feel.

And I know that my time is coming soon.

It's been so long.

Oh, such a long time, since I've lived with peace and rest.

Now I am here, my destination.

I guess things work for the best and I know that my time is coming soon.

Who is this man?

This man beside me They call the 'King of the Jews'?

They don't believe that He's the Messiah but, somehow I know it's true. And they laugh at Him in mockery, and beat Him till he bleeds!

They nail Him to the rugged cross, and raise Him, they raise Him up next to me.

My time has come, I'm slowly fading "I deserve what I receive."

"Jesus when You're in Your kingdom, Could You please, please remember me?"

He looks at me still holding on.

The tears fall from His eyes.

He says, "I tell the truth today, you will live with Me in paradise!".

And I know that my time is coming soon.

And I know paradise is coming soon.

.

You may click on the link below to experience "Thief" by Third Day on Godtube :

.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2hgi3_third-day-thief-the-passion-of-chri_events