⁴³ And he said to him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43 CSB)

A deathbed confession is cutting it pretty fine. But I am sure there are many who have seen the error of their ways at the last minute and confessed, believed and been saved. In our scripture one of the criminals did just that and made it into heaven.

These were people who had time to rethink their lives and their choices, some do not have so much time to consider. Thus, isn’t it best to just be sure now. To make this decision far in advance of our last day. To then live out whatever number of days we have left in both assurance and in striving for Christ in all we do.

The one criminal went to be with Christ in paradise that day, the other, not so much. Even when our years are long, this life proves to be far shorter than one would imagine. Coming to the latter part of life and simply knowing there are far less remaining than we have lived can be sobering. But this is not a time for looking back, but a time for looking ahead. Ahead to all that Christ has in store for us in the remaining days.

Life can change today, or tomorrow, we just do not know. It is never good to gamble eternity upon what time we think we have left.