Happy Aloha Friday, October 10th, 2025! Timing has never really been my strong suit. Once, I showed up to a wedding a few minutes late—or so I thought. I pulled up, heart racing, worried I’d missed the ceremony. But when I got there, nothing was set up. No guests, no cars, no decorations. Turns out, I wasn’t a few minutes late; I was two days early!
It’s funny how being early feels embarrassing—until you realize it’s actually rare. Because spiritually, most of us struggle not with being early, but with waiting until after we see the results. That’s what makes the first convert of the cross so remarkable. He was three days early.
Today's Reading:
Nehemiah 3,4; Luke 23
Scripture
“Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.’” (Luke 23:42-43)
Observation
At the moment when Jesus seemed powerless — bleeding, broken, and nailed to a cross — this man chose to believe. When others mocked Him for failing to save Himself, the thief saw a King wearing a crown of thorns. When everyone else had lost hope, he placed his hope in the One who looked the most hopeless.
He believed three days early — before the resurrection, before the stone rolled away, before there was any proof. Faith doesn’t wait for evidence. It recognizes the Savior even when He’s still on the cross.
Application
So often I wait for God to prove Himself before I believe. “Show me the miracle, then I’ll trust You.” “Fix it first, then I’ll praise You.”
But the thief shows a better way:
Believe three days early.
Trust when it still looks dead.
Worship when it still hurts.
Hope when there’s no reason left to.
The thief had nothing left to offer, not even time. But he had faith. And faith is God’s invitation to trust Him three days early—before the miracle, before the breakthrough, before anything makes sense.
Prayer
Lord, give me faith that believes before I see the outcome. When things look uncertain, remind me You’re still working. Help me trust You early—while it’s still dark and hope is still rising. Give me a faith that’s three days early. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
-Chris Kiriakos