The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)
Where were you between September 7–12, 1988? If you are one of the younger Links attenders—a group that continues to grow across the nation—you may not have even been born yet.
I remember those dates well. We were on a West Coast road trip with the Atlanta Braves—September 7–8 in San Francisco, September 9–11 in San Diego, and September 12–14 in Los Angeles.
As a team, we struggled, going 2–6. Personally, I had a bright spot on September 8th against the Padres, pitching three scoreless innings from the 8th through the 10th to get the win.
The late, great Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter came in in the 11th to record his 300th—and final—save of his illustrious career.
We didn’t play well on the baseball diamond, but we did play well on some incredible golf courses during that trip—Torrey Pines, San Francisco Golf Club, Riviera, and more.
Truth be told, we even rented a car after a game in Los Angeles, drove to Palm Desert, spent the night in La Quinta, teed it up at 7:30 the next morning, and made it back to L.A. in time for the game. I pitched three scoreless innings that night—proving, at least in my mind, that golf is pretty good therapy!
However, what I remember most about that trip had nothing to do with baseball or golf. The headlines in nearly every newspaper were focused on a prediction from Edgar C. Whisenant, who claimed the rapture and World War III would occur during Rosh Hashanah in 1988 in his book 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988.
Somehow, he missed what Jesus clearly said as recorded in Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32—that no one knows the day or the hour except the Father.
I was sitting in the bullpen at Candlestick Park on September 8th when a teammate—who wasn’t a believer—looked up from the USA Today he was reading (for the younger Links attenders, ask one of the seniors what a newspaper is) and blurted out, “Hey Hozie, when is God going to beam you up?”
It got really quiet. Everyone looked at me. Thankfully, the Spirit gave me the words, and the only thing that came to mind was the Scripture at the top of this devotional.
So, I said, “I don’t think the guy who wrote that book knows. But here’s what I do know and believe… Jesus is going to come back one day, and He isn’t slow, late, or slacking.
He’s patient. He doesn’t want anyone to perish and spend eternity separated from His love. He wants everyone to turn to Him in repentance and faith in His Son, Jesus.
“But if He does ‘beam me up,’ I know where I’m going—and who I’ll be with. Do you?”
Needless to say, it got very quiet in that bullpen. But afterward, several guys came up to me privately and began asking serious questions about faith, eternity, and how to be saved.
Looking back, I sometimes think about how different that moment would have played out if the same earthquake that happened in the 1989 World Series had occurred right then during that conversation!
So, what about you?
If Jesus were to return today, would you be ready to meet Him? I’d love for you to be on that road trip with me—one that leads to eternity with Him.
Prayer: Jesus, we thank You that You are not slow, but patient. Your desire is that none would perish, but that all would come to repentance. Give us the courage to share the good news of Your grace and mercy with those around us. Prepare our hearts and use our lives to point others to You. We long for the day You return. Amen.