Hey friends, welcome to the Graceology with Gwen Smith podcast.

I'm Gwen Smith and I'm really glad you're here.

Each week I host two different shows, one with incredible guests and meaningful conversations,

and one called A Moment of Grace, where

it's just me, talking to just you, in a reflective, devotional style to help connect those

busy, bruised, and broken places to the beautiful hope of Jesus. So now I invite you to sit

back and take a deep breath as I share with you a moment of grace.

When you grow up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and summer yields to fall, you root for the Steelers.

It's not even an option. It's culture. You bleed black and gold. The home team binds every borough, city, and suburb into a greater community that rises in unison to wave terrible towels and high-five complete strangers in the stadium, in the grocery stores, in the workplace, anywhere. To this day, even though I'm now a Carolina girl, when I see a

random person in public wearing Steelers gear, I see family, and I stroll over to chat with them as if

we'd graduated from high school together. Yen's guys, not even kidding, really. We Steelers fans love

our team fiercely, and we have ridiculously strong feelings about our rivals.

Patriots and Ravens and Bengals, oh my! These teams aren't just opponents, they're enemies.

Enemies who come against my people with a strategic game plan to poke holes in our defense,

overpower us on offense, and neutralize our effectiveness on the field.

Enemies that I want my Steelers to take down. Bad, bad enemies. By the way, please don't send any

nasty emails if you root for one of my enemy teams. Just repent already. In Psalm 83, the psalmist gets pretty intense with God about his enemies

and begs him to wipe them out. He asks God to rise up and crush the forces of darkness

that conspire against the Lord and his people. Excerpts from Psalm 83 read like this. Oh God, do not remain silent. Do not turn a deaf ear.

Do not stand aloof, oh God. See how your enemies growl, how your foes rear their heads. With cunning,

they conspire against your people. They plot against those you cherish. With one mind,

they plot together. They form an alliance against you. Make them like tumbleweed, my God,

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