Here is how I think I would spend the day:
It would be the most exciting day in my long life. The wait would be almost over. I would be thinking about being in Jesus' presence tomorrow. And now, I would enjoy spending my last time on earth with my family and friends, loving them.
For me
It would be the greatest excitement in my lifetime. And it is doubtful that I could get anybody to take me seriously as I enjoyed the day.
And knowing for sure
And if this knowledge was not some dream during the night before or some person’s thinking, but some supernatural way that left no doubt in my mind that death would come tonight, I would be excited thinking about how to live the rest of the day.
The thief on the cross knew his death was near
The thief on the cross knew that he would die soon and that he would be with Jesus because Jesus told him, "Today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:42-43, KJV)
I suspect that he was so excited
And even in the most excruciating pain that I could possibly imagine, I suspect that he was singing and shouting to the "rooftops" that he was saved.
May have had family around
Family and friends may have gathered around him, in tears, and expecting him to hang on the cross and suffer for many days. And when they heard him go from crying in his suffering to excitement and joy, they might not have believed him. They may have decided that the pain from the crucifixion had caused him to go mad.
The thief may have known Jesus at a distance
The thief on the cross may even have been a follower of Jesus at a distance. He may have been such a bad criminal that he thought he could never be saved. But he may have even observed and believed some of the miracles that Jesus had performed. He may have thought that he was good enough that he would go to heaven when he died, even with his crimes. And hanging on the cross, suffering, now, he probably felt unsure.
Believed and born-again
Jesus may have remembered him at a distance and knew his heart. The crosses were probably close together. I suspect that the crosses were about 10 to 15 feet apart because the three of them were carrying on a conversation. Family and friends may have been there at a distance and probably could not hear the conversations.
The thief asked to be saved
The thief may have looked directly into the piercing eyes of Jesus. The thief said to Jesus; Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom. Remember me, remember me! Jesus knew his heart. I believe that was the point that God sent His Holy Spirit into the thief, and he was born-again and saved.
Today you will be with me in paradise
The thief knew that he would die soon and knew where he was going that day. So, if we knew that we would die tonight, do we have the same kind of certainty that the thief had?
I believe we can
Make sure that we love and trust Him with all our heart, and make sure that His Holy Spirit dwells in us, and that is called being born-again. And make sure that we have developed a relationship with God through Bible study, prayer and fellowship with other believers.
Spending time with the ones that I love
I don’t have any idea how my family and friends would feel about my situation, and I don’t think they would be any different than many others. It would be believing in a great miracle. I would want to spend my last time with the ones that I love.
Lost his marbles
They might conclude that their father, grandfather and great-grandfather had lived a long life and finally "lost his marbles" because they would see an excitement greater than they had ever known.
My last day
The thief heard the promise from Jesus’ mouth. It is difficult for me to even try to imagine the super excitement that I would feel if that night I knew that I was going home to be with Jesus.
How about you?
I have told you how I think that I would react under this situation. Now, how about you? If you have been born-again and saved, you would probably react in a similar way. But I cannot even begin to speculate if I was not saved.
What is your situation?
We know that hospitals are crowded and many funeral homes are busy, and this subject is on the minds of individuals across the land. So, the most important question is: What is your situation? My prayer is that these words will challenge many lost souls to get right with God before it is too late and secure a place in heaven.
This writer
Al Stanford, 92, grew up poor on a farm, spent his career teaching farmers through the Cooperative Extension Service, and is now compelled to write and ask hard questions about salvation.
