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It's Never Too Late to Get In the Game | Print |  E-mail
ball bat gloveI’m fifty-one years old and I’m beginning to think I may never play Major League baseball.  It’s been a dream of mine since I was a kid, listening to the games on the radio while playing catch with my brother.   To this day,  I have to admit, my mind will still wander to the ball field.  The crack of the bat, the green grass and blue sky, the feeling in your hands when you hit a solid line drive, the exhilaration of leaping to grab a fly ball.  I’ll bet if I got in shape I could still play.  Right.

It reminds me of Moses.  Moses was a Hebrew boy who was raised by the Egyptian Pharaoh’s daughter.  As a young man he had much to look forward to – wealth, comfort, political power.  But he began to notice the oppressive situation his people, the Hebrews, were suffering as slaves to the Egyptians.  Perhaps he could use his position to help his people.

One day Moses saw an Egyptian beating one of the Hebrew slaves.  Here was his chance to defend his people.  He stepped in, killed the Egyptian and buried the body in the sand.  The next day, Moses saw two Hebrew men fighting one another.  He stepped between them and asked the one, “Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew:”  The man replied,  “Who made you ruler and judge over us?  Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?”

Oops!  Moses was afraid everyone knew what he had done.  Sure enough, the Pharaoh heard about it and tried to have Moses killed.  So Moses fled, leaving behind his home, his wealth, his political career.  His opportunity to help his people was as gone as my baseball career, right?

Well, forty years later, Moses was working for his father-in-law, tending sheep in the desert.  Not much chance for career advancement there.  But wait a minute!  God had a plan.  God spoke to Moses through a burning bush and so began one of the most incredible relationships in history.  God claimed him off the waiver wire – a major reclamation project!  He chose Moses to go to bat for Him against the Egyptians.

Moses?  That washed-up, ragged-armed has-been?  Yeah!  God was about to lead His people out of captivity into the Promised Land and Moses was His perfect representative.  He was a failure, so he had no ego problem.  He was slow of speech, so he wouldn’t put his foot in his mouth.  And he was available.

Well, you know how God used Moses to lead the Hebrew people to freedom; how God gave him the law; performed great miracles through him; and even spoke to him “face to face as a man speaks to his friend.”  What a career Moses ended up having!  I mean, he had Hall of Fame numbers!  It just goes to show – it’s never too late to get in the game.

Lord, I know I’m not as young as I used to be, but if you can use me, I’m available.  I want the kind of loving, intimate relationship You had with Moses.  Just point me toward the field and tell me where you want me to play.