Sparto The Athletic Geek

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God Is With You The prophet Isaiah wrote the words of Isaiah 7:14 nearly 600 years before Jesus was born. At the time of this writing, the Israelites were doing all the right religious things, but weren’t practicing justice as God commands. Like many prophets during Isaiah’s time, this was a warning against that injustice. But among that warning was a glimmer of hope that God would set things right. Here, the prophet Isaiah is giving the people of Israel a reason to hope because of God’s good promise—the promise that He will provide a sign and He will show up for us. Because that’s what Immanuel means: God with us.  But what does “God with us” mean for us today?  It means we can share in that hope by fixing our eyes on Jesus and trusting in Him. We can trust that from Christ’s birth to His current reign in Heaven—Jesus is God with us. He’s with us in our pain when we lose a loved one. He’s with us in our anger when we see injustice and don’t know where to turn. He’s with us in our sadness when we grieve what has been lost. He’s with us in our joy when we celebrate with others. He’s with us in our peace, when we’re merciful to a suffering world. And He’s with us in our hope, lighting the way to a brighter future. He is with us. No matter where life has brought you to in this moment—through the good and through the bad—Jesus has been with you, drawing you to Him. He is the promised Immanuel. He is God with us.

What God Loves Psalm 33 is a beautiful chapter of the Bible. The writer's motivation is clear: praise. Praise God for how powerful He is, how good He is, how righteous He is. Praise Him for His steady plans, His all-knowing faithfulness, His love for His people. Praise God. Early on in this outpouring of praise, the psalmist says of God, “He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.” (Psalm 33:5) He doesn’t just appreciate, tolerate, or approve of justice and righteousness. He loves them. If we, like God, love righteousness and justice, that means we cannot also love anything that is unrighteous or unjust. The world is full of dark things that call for our attention and affection. But God, in His steadiness, never stops loving the exact same things: righteousness and justice. Is the earth full of darkness, evil, and sin? Yes. But don’t forget, this verse reminds us of something else the earth is full of: His unfailing love. Today, take a moment to read all of Psalm 33. Look for how you can add your praise of God to this psalm of praise. Has God brought justice for you? Has He helped you turn from sin and toward righteousness? How has God been good to you?Let the last three verses put your heart at ease, washing over you and encouraging you today: “We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone.” Psalm 33:20-22 NLT