Enduring Scoreless Innings By Luke Heaton

Bottom of the ninth inning. Bases loaded. Two outs. Full count. Down by three runs. You step up to the plate and crush a grand slam over the wall to win the game. The crowd goes ballistic. This is the dream scenario that nearly every kid who grows up playing baseball envisions. For Bryce Blaum and the Texas A&M Aggies, this dream came true. On Sunday afternoon, Blaum, a junior for the Aggies, stepped up to the plate in this dream scenario. Texas A&M was down 10-7 entering the bottom of the ninth inning in an elimination game against the West Virginia Mountaineers. Following a double and two walked batters, Blaum stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and the Aggies down to their final out. His first two swings during the at-bat resulted in strikes, but he stayed poised. Now a full count, Blaum turned on an off-speed pitch that hung out over the plate, sending it over the left field wall. Game over. As great and memorable as the walk-off grand slam was, it is important to understand the context of what happened in the game leading up to this moment. A&M was down 9-1 in the seventh inning. It’s also important to note that this is an Aggie baseball team that has struggled to put runs on the board all season. Just a few games prior, the Aggies were on a 22-inning scoreless streak. What can be learned here? It would have been easy for A&M to give up. Down 9-1 against a West Virginia team that's nationally ranked 15th seemed like a hopeless situation, but the Aggies persevered and fought back. As followers of Jesus, we’re called to embody this same mindset. The writer of Hebrews encourages us to persevere in our faith as we aim to become more like Christ. “...And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer, and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:1-3; NIV). Faithfully following Jesus is not easy. It requires surrendering daily to the will of God, sacrificing desires of the flesh to live by the Spirit, and it often includes some sort of suffering. So, what happens when we feel hopeless as we experience the hardships of this world and feel like following Jesus is too difficult? We persevere and keep our eyes fixed on the One who perfects our faith and enables us to become more like Him. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus give us the ability to run the race. Hurdles exist, but we are promised power over them through the blood of Christ. I’m Luke Heaton and you can UNPACK that! PRAYER: Lord, thank you for the blood of Your son, Jesus, that allows me to have a relationship with You. Help me to follow Jesus faithfully. When life gets tough, help me persevere in my faith and keep my eyes fixed on Him. Remind me daily of the power of Your Spirit that lives in me and leads me in accomplishing Your Will. No matter how hopeless a situation may feel, give me the strength to persevere and the desire to become more like Christ. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.