Daily Word of Grace # 110 (August 17, 2020)
One of my favorite aspects of baseball is that there is no clock, and therefore no “clock management.” The game begins when the umpire declares, “Play ball” and ends when either a team scores the winning run or makes the final out. It is the action of the players that concludes the game, not running out the clock. Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera is the greatest relief pitcher in the history of Major League Baseball. He played 19 seasons for the New York Yankees, the last 17 as a relief pitcher, whose sole job was to make sure the final out(s) were made to seal a victory—and thus “save” the game. Rivera holds the record for most career games saved: an astounding 652 games, and played a vital role in the 5 World Series championships he won with the Yankees. When it comes to your salvation, it does not depend on a clock, but on the grace of God. Your salvation has been completed in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who in his final moments on the cross declared, “It is finished” (John 19:30). Jesus Christ is the ultimate relief pitcher for the world, including you. When it comes to your salvation he has made the final out and saved not only the game, but your soul. Indeed, “by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8)—and when it comes to God’s grace, the clock never runs out.
Love and Prayers,
Dave