“Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” — Psalm 25:5 (NIV84)

The reason that the psalmist, and you and I, can have hope all day long is because God is more than a supreme ruler: He is also a savior. What hope could there be in an omnipotent supreme being that wasn’t motivated by love and compassion? Without love, God would simply rule with an iron fist and hold everyone accountable for what they do and don’t do. There is no hope with this kind of God. Because we are a fallen species we would forever be faced with the reality of His holiness and our lack of it. Look at the other religions in the world. They either push God so far away from their everyday lives so as not to feel the pain of His holiness, or they spend their lives in fear of not paying Him enough penance to heal the pain. Neither of these ideas of God presents a god that one could derive hope from on a daily basis. Those gods are not the gods you want in life where the rubber hits the road.

We want (need) the God who provides hope in everyday life. We need the God who is compassionately present when lives are lost, relationships break, and sinful choices are being faced. Only this God, the one who meets us where we live, can bridge the gap between our brokenness and His holiness. Hence, Jesus was born into the world! God sent His own Son to reveal the truth about Himself and our condition. Jesus walked with, taught, and healed broken and hopeless people. He died on the cross bearing all that separates us from God. He bore our sins so that we might be righteous and holy in His eyes. Paul says, “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (1 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus’ resurrection is the living proof that He is the way, and the truth, and the life.

As the psalmist says in the verse above, may God guide us in His truth so we might have in Him our savior and our hope.

Peace!

Pastor Tom

www.firmlyrooted.church