I played softball for about 12 years. And my dad was a coach for many of them. One thing he told me over and over again was, “Bethany, don’t swing on the first pitch. You need to be patient”. Did I listen? Well, I tried to, but it was very difficult because I was eager…and impatient…and I wanted to swing the bat…and get on base!
My dad also advised me early on to “keep your eye on the ball, Bethany.” Well, of course you keep your eye on the ball, Dad! I mean, how else are you going to hit it? Again, did I listen? Most of the time. But there were times when I was so anxious to swing and hear the metal bat crack against the ball that I took my eyes off and swung. And of course, I heard “Strike!” ring through my ears.
How many times have you been impatient? Been eager? Gotten distracted? What happens when we take our eyes off of God?
Thankfully, God is our coach and not our umpire. He doesn’t yell “Strike!” when we become impatient instead of waiting for Him. He may not throw the perfect pitch immediately, but Psalm 40:1 tells us to wait patiently and He will hear our cry.
Philippians 4:6 tells us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
God loves for us to hit a homerun. But we have to be patient – we have to wait – and we have to keep our eyes on Him.