The Hope Of A New Season!

On Wednesday night, when I got home from Bible study, I put on the TV and stepped into the 7^th inning of the Yankee game—they were playing against Boston.  As I was watching, Kim came into the room, glanced at the TV and asked, “Is it baseball season already?” When I answered in the affirmative, all I heard was a groan from behind me!  Apparently, Kim is not thrilled that baseball season has returned!

Now I don’t watch a ton of games, but I do like to catch a Yankee game now and then.  And besides, since my administrative assistant Conni is such a huge fan and is always ready to talk about the game from the night before, I feel a bit obligated to stay on top of what’s happening in the baseball world!  So, yes baseball season has begun and one can find me watching a Yankee game here and there—and, I guess more than “here and there” as we move through the season. 

Of course, it does seem like we just finished the last season of games.  It feels like just yesterday we who are Yankee fans were mourning the fact that they had not made it into the World Series, having been edged out by the Astros.  Yet, here we are at the start of another season filled with a ton of hope for our team.  In fact, each of us who follows baseball, no matter what team is “your team” is thinking, “Maybe this is the year our team gets into and even wins the World Series!”  The start of a new season is always filled with hope; hope that will be fulfilled for some and hope that may lead to disappointment for others.

The 2009 Yankees celebrating their World Series Win!

When we become followers of Jesus through faith in him, we begin a new season in our lives; everything starts new and fresh. The old season of life is past. All the failures, loses, and even sins of the old season are gone. In a sense, we get to start over.  As Paul writes to the Corinthians, “The old is gone! The new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 – NIV) And, with the start of a new season comes new hope! As followers of Jesus we are given an incredible hope for our future—a hope that will never disappoint us, for God will be with us and fulfill every promise he has ever made to us! 

The Apostle Paul wrote these words:  “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”  (Romans 5:5 – NIV)  The writer to the Hebrews gives us this word of encouragement: “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”  (Hebrews 10:23 – NIV)  Again, the hope that we receive from God will never disappoint.  The hope that he gives to us will be fulfilled!  At the end of the season, we will come out as winners! 

Let’s keep on hoping!  Have a great day! (And, let’s go Yankees! J) 

Pastor Tim Harris