“The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.” - Psalm 121:8

Baseball season is here! I’ve learned so much about life from the game, but what amazes me are the spiritual lessons. Recently I heard baseball explained this way:

“You have two sides, one out in the field and one in from the field. Each man that’s on the side that’s in - goes out one at a time until he is out. Once he is out he comes back in and the next man goes in until he’s out. When three men are out, the side that’s out comes in and the side that’s been in goes out and tries to get those coming in, out. When both sides have been in and out nine times, which are called ‘in’-nings, that’s the end of the game.”

We have many in’s and out’s in life. From the time we come out from our mother’s womb we are always involved in something or trying to get out of something, until the time we are placed in our casket.

Not until a person comes to realize that God has created all things for His glory (Rev. 4:11), which means that we were created on purpose for a purpose, does life make sense. In short, that means God has an eternal invested interest in our lives. We know this to be true because sin pulled us out from the family of God, and then God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die and pay for sin in order to place us back into the family of God. Sin is very powerful, but the blood of God’s Son is so much greater. In fact His blood was that clutch hit in the last inning, so to speak, that allows us to round all three bases of life (physical, emotional, and spiritual) and arrive home safely.

Knowing that we could not defeat sin, God gave His Son to be our pinch-hitter, our substitute, who came down from the heavenly Big Leagues – and He delivered! Regardless of all the evil, the trouble, and sin in the world nothing can ever separate us from the eternal love of God (Rom. 8:35-39). We are eternally preserved by God, so much so, that the Lord Jesus Himself said, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand” (John 10:28,29).

When life seems to have you down with all the in’s and out’s – look up! God has an eternal invested interest in you who believe. God will never let His eye wander away from you or fall asleep. The LORD will preserve us for more than nine-innings. We are preserved forever!

David C. Hale, Pastor Email: reasons4believing@gmail.com