10 June | EVERYONE
«The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them.» Psalm 145:18, 19
The criminal was dying nailed to a cross. In the throes of agony, he felt that he had squandered the precious gift of life. His anguished heart told him that he deserved what he was suffering. He had been a bad man and had caused a lot of people pain.
But in this life, everything ends. His short life story was tragically coming to an end. In the evening of that cruel day, tired of enduring physical and moral pain, he threw his wounded head to one side, waiting for death and whom did he find? None other than the Lord Jesus, dying with him.
Almost exhausted, he turned to the Redeemer and said, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” The prayer had not finished leaving his lips when the answer came to him. “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
The most extraordinary truth of all time is the one expressed in today’s text: God’s marvelous closeness, his abiding readiness to listen to us and bless us.
“Jesus is our friend; all heaven is interested in our welfare. We should not allow the perplexities and worries of everyday life to fret the mind and cloud the brow” (Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, 123).
Take Action
It does not matter who you are or how you have lived here. If you call upon God with deep longing, His hand will reach out to you and His touch will illuminate your darkest night. Jesus is at the door of your heart knocking. What will your response be? Sing “The Lord Is Near” (if possible, with your family).