And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23:43
The circumstances in our lives should never be so adverse, nor should the hour too late, to offer the gospel of Christ to someone. Even though Jesus was hanging in between two criminals after he was falsely accused, tried and convicted, His friends deserted Him, He appeared weak, He was disgraced and ashamed and completely rejected, He reached out! Given these circumstances it is difficult for us to comprehend how He was so concerned and aware about the welfare of others. When the thief on the cross cried out for help, Jesus cared so much about the man’s destiny that He spoke and “reached out” to him. Salvation is always the total work of God’s redeeming and intervening grace. The sovereign work of God’s Spirit in Jesus gave the thief the understanding about Jesus. As we allow the Spirit of God to work through us, we will succeed at “Reaching Out”!