Major League Baseball’s Opening Day is tomorrow and that means every team starts fresh with a 0-0 record and a new season in front of them.
With multiple offseason moves and manager changes, along with previously injured players getting healthy, there is plenty to look forward to.
How will the Cubs' talented roster bounce back this year? How quickly will Bryce Harper make an impact with the Phillies? The Braves won their division last year, so will they take another step forward? Who will be this year’s breakout star? How strong will the World Series Champion Red Sox be?
Regardless of the storyline or the question heading into the year,ESPN.com has it right with their headline, “NEW SEASON, CLEAN SLATE FOR ALL 30 TEAMS."
They added this hopeful summary:
"With MLB's Opening Day upon us and the slate wiped clean from last season, all 30 teams are filled with hopes for October.”
Last year's record doesn’t count for or against them this season. They are starting over and moving on with a clean slate.
A new season does this for every MLB team and the concept of a clean slate is available to each of us, as well.
When we surrender to Jesus and receive His grace, our previous record of behavior no longer counts for or against us. We start over and move on with a clean slate while we rest in the finished work of Jesus and His righteousness.
1 Corinthians 1:30 (MSG) says, "Everything that we have - right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start - comes from God by way of Jesus Christ.”
Even though we are in right standing with God through Jesus and will be with Him for eternity, we still experience sin on a daily basis while here on earth. That means we need to daily confess our sins and repent. In other words, we need to have our "slate wiped clean."
Psalm 19:13 (MSG) gives us this prayer to declare:
"Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh! Keep me from stupid sins, from thinking I can take over Your work; then I can start this day sun-washed, scrubbed clean of the grime of sin.”
1 John 1:9 (AMP) explains, “If we admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just , and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness .”
This week, many MLB players will make their one-time debut, and begin a career with a clean slate. Then, each season they will start fresh when the new year begins.
Likewise, we are saved once and start fresh each day as God cleanses us and forgives us. So today, let’s be challenged to confess our sins and ask Him to "Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10; NLT).
I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, forgive me for the sins I’ve committed against You today and please give me the strength to repent and turn from them. I thank you that my past, present, and future sins have been forgiven because of Jesus. In His name, I pray, Amen.
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