Endure to the End
The 1991 World Series was a contest between the Atlanta Braves
and the Minnesota Twins. After six games in the seven-game World Series, each team had won three games. Whoever won the seventh game would win the World Series.
In the seventh game, after seven innings, the score was tied 0-0. During the eighth inning Lonnie Smith made it to first base. Terry Pendleton then hit a deep line drive. Lonnie Smith raced from first base headed toward second. The ball bounced off the left-center field wall, which means that Smith could have scored, but as he rounded second base he inexplicably stopped.
There are several explanations of what happened. Smith said he lost the ball in the white ceiling of the Metrodome. Replays show he was fooled
by the Twins’ second baseman Chuck Knoblauch, who pretended to catch a throw from the outfield. Whatever happened, by the time Smith realized his mistake he was only able to make it to third base. By the end of the inning, he was stranded at third base. Smith was never able to score in that situation. The Minnesota Twins won the game in the 10th inning by a score of 1-0.
After the grueling training of spring camp, after a victorious season of winning more games than anyone else, after a hard-fought series that
came down to the eighth inning of the last game, the Atlanta Braves made a
mistake at the end.
Do not lose the series at the end of the last game. The writer to the Hebrews puts it like this: “We desire that each of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises” (Hebrews 6:11-12).
The expression “full assurance of hope”implies that, at the moment, their confidence in the future expectation was lacking (Guthrie). It had
“chilled” and needed to be “rekindled” (Westcott). The Greek word translated “desire” expresses a “strong personal—even passionate desire” (Westcott), not a “pious wish” (Guthrie). Thus, the intense desire of the author is that each one of these believers would not be sluggish, but that each one would be an imitator of those who through faith and patience inherited the promises of God. In other words, mimic those who trusted the Lord to fulfil His promise to the very end of their lives.
Do not labor for the Lord all your life and hesitate at second base at the end of your life. Do not get stranded at third. Make it all the way home. Trust the Lord until the day you die. Endure to the last breath of your last day. This message is not only for those who are at the end of their race. Originally, it wasn’t written to senior citizens. This is for all who are in the race, but whose spiritual enthusiasm has become sluggish, whose spiritual fire has chilled. Make up your mind to endure to the very end.
© G. Michael Cocoris, 2/27/2014
and the Minnesota Twins. After six games in the seven-game World Series, each team had won three games. Whoever won the seventh game would win the World Series.
In the seventh game, after seven innings, the score was tied 0-0. During the eighth inning Lonnie Smith made it to first base. Terry Pendleton then hit a deep line drive. Lonnie Smith raced from first base headed toward second. The ball bounced off the left-center field wall, which means that Smith could have scored, but as he rounded second base he inexplicably stopped.
There are several explanations of what happened. Smith said he lost the ball in the white ceiling of the Metrodome. Replays show he was fooled
by the Twins’ second baseman Chuck Knoblauch, who pretended to catch a throw from the outfield. Whatever happened, by the time Smith realized his mistake he was only able to make it to third base. By the end of the inning, he was stranded at third base. Smith was never able to score in that situation. The Minnesota Twins won the game in the 10th inning by a score of 1-0.
After the grueling training of spring camp, after a victorious season of winning more games than anyone else, after a hard-fought series that
came down to the eighth inning of the last game, the Atlanta Braves made a
mistake at the end.
Do not lose the series at the end of the last game. The writer to the Hebrews puts it like this: “We desire that each of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises” (Hebrews 6:11-12).
The expression “full assurance of hope”implies that, at the moment, their confidence in the future expectation was lacking (Guthrie). It had
“chilled” and needed to be “rekindled” (Westcott). The Greek word translated “desire” expresses a “strong personal—even passionate desire” (Westcott), not a “pious wish” (Guthrie). Thus, the intense desire of the author is that each one of these believers would not be sluggish, but that each one would be an imitator of those who through faith and patience inherited the promises of God. In other words, mimic those who trusted the Lord to fulfil His promise to the very end of their lives.
Do not labor for the Lord all your life and hesitate at second base at the end of your life. Do not get stranded at third. Make it all the way home. Trust the Lord until the day you die. Endure to the last breath of your last day. This message is not only for those who are at the end of their race. Originally, it wasn’t written to senior citizens. This is for all who are in the race, but whose spiritual enthusiasm has become sluggish, whose spiritual fire has chilled. Make up your mind to endure to the very end.
© G. Michael Cocoris, 2/27/2014