PLAY BALL!  Here I am!  It’s the bottom of the 9th and I’m at bat. The pitcher is the best closer in the league and, lately, I haven’t been doing well. I’m batting just above 150 and the coach tells me to pinch hit.  To make matters worse, I was booed when my name was called over the PA system. 

So, here I stand, awaiting the inevitable. Then comes the dreaded pitch, right over the plate! “Strike one” the umpire cries. People are starting to exit the ballpark. The pitcher looks closely at the catcher’s sign, shakes it off and, with an air of confidence, throws the second pitch. It too is a fastball. It came across the plate so fast I couldn’t take a swing. “Strike two” the umpire cries.

Groans are now coming from the dugout. They’re picking up their gear and are looking towards the locker room. The pitcher, now completely in control, looks at the catcher, who gives him a sign but, again, he shakes it off. Then, suddenly, I realize he’s going to throw the same pitch again; a fastball, right down the center! 

In that moment, control changes hands. I now know his plan and wait for his pitch.  He winds up and throws and when he does I simply place my bat in front of the ball’s trajectory course and bam! I connect! The ball soars higher and higher until it goes out of the park. A walk-off home run and we win!

The bottom line is I figured him out. Do you know that you can figure satan out? Yes, you can!  The next time your standing in the batter’s box with three balls and two strikes, think!  What noticeable pattern has your adversary shown? He knows if you’re a sucker for an inside fastball, curveball or a slider. The good news is, he only has so many pitches in his arsenal. And, if your patient, you can figure them out.

Do you want to hit a home run?  Do you want to get on base? You can! Have you ever wondered why God called you to the plate in the first place? The answer is simple. He believes in you. Please trust me; there will come a time when your divine Mentor will call you once again to the plate. When he does, accept his invitation. Then do all you can to discern the enemy’s strategies. When you do this, it will amaze you how fast your batting average will increase.

Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, he who has begun a good work in you will be faithful to complete it in you”