Catching Faith

It is beneficial for us as believers in Christ to be reminded of who He is and what He has done for us. In Deuteronomy chapter 6, we can read, regarding the words of God:
8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
10 "So it shall be, when the Lord your God brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you large and beautiful cities which you did not build,
11 houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, hewn-out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant--when you have eaten and are full--
12 then beware, lest you forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

There, in verse 12, we are warned not to forget the Lord and what He had done in bringing them out of Egypt.  But, they were forgetful, and much of the Old Testament illustrates for us a God who is reaching out to His chosen people who had forgotten Him.  So, we need reminders, which can come in various forms, so that we can stay true to the Lord, so we don't get caught up in our own selfish motives and ways.  

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We are directed in Scripture to be clothed with Christ, with the presence of God, and we have to watch what we wear, spiritually speaking. In Ephesians 4, we can see these words:
21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:
22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,
23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

We are closing in on September, which truly is one of the great sports months of the year - the beginning of college and professional football, preparation for the NBA exhibition season, and this weekend marks the final race in the "regular" NASCAR season.

NASCAR returns to Talladega the first weekend of October.  The Cup race is on October 2, and there is also a race on Saturday, the 1st.  A pastor and guest from the Faith Radio area could be in attendance that day, thanks to Energize Ministries.  On Tuesday, September 6, the day after Labor Day, a portal will open on our website at FaithRadio.org.  You can nominate your pastor to receive a special day at Talladega or if you're a pastor, you can actually sign up yourself.  Just tell us why this would be a special day for your pastor or yourself.

Also, in the sporting world, you have the pennant races for Major League Baseball.

This year, MLB's post-season has expanded, with an extra wild-card spot generating more enthusiasm for teams that may have been out of the mix in past years.  And, the defending world champion Atlanta Braves are in the running again this year, positioned in 2nd place in their division, a game-and-a-half behind the New York Mets.  The Braves, Mets, Dodgers, Astros, and Yankees have all exceeded the 75-win mark, with Los Angeles, Houston, and now the New York Mets reaching the 80-win threshold.  

Meanwhile, the Kansas City Royals is a team that has now reached 75...losses.  But, from a faith perspective, there is a bright spot in the lineup.  

The Christian Post recently highlighted a pitcher for the Royals named Luke Weaver.  His record isn't the greatest, but his source of inspiration is matchless.  The article states:

Kansas City Royals pitcher Luke Weaver is catching the attention of Christian baseball fans for sharing his faith on the field by wearing a self-designed glove called the “Bible Glove” that features three Bible verses and other biblical symbols.

“It’s just a way where I want to be able to show the world that in the midst of that battle and the competition and the personality and expression, this is what I choose to do,” the 28-year-old right-hander told Sports Spectrum about the glove, which looks like the binding of an old leather Bible.

The article features a description of the verses and symbols on the glove, relating:

The glove, made by the company Aria, features a cross, a crown of thorns, the phrase “His Glory,” and three Bible verses: Philippians 4:13, which reads, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength;” Matthew 19:26, which states, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible;” and 1 Corinthians 16:13, which reads, “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.”

Luke Weaver says: “In doing this, I hope more kids can wear a glove like I’m wearing and to wear it in their travel ball and their Little Leagues and their high schools and their colleges, to one day just be like, ‘Hey, I’m using a glove that helps me play this game, but I’m also expressing who I am, and I love every second of it...'"

Weaver is a former first-round draft pick in 2014 by the St. Louis Cardinals out of Florida State. He was traded to Arizona in 2018, and was just traded to the Royals at the beginning of this month.

In a YouTube video promoting the glove, Weaver says, according to CBN.com: "The Bible glove takes it to another level," adding, "I'm out there wearing it with me. I can feel His presence. There is Scripture in it, but it just feels like a whole other level. It feels like I'm out there ready to defend against any type of thoughts that come to try to destroy me out there—like my weapon is the Bible. It's not going to back down."

The CBN article notes that Weaver said:

"I want to make sure I'm using my time and energy, both verbally and nonverbally, to impact people for eternal purposes," he wrote for The Increase. "I want to use my career in baseball to impact a generation with the Gospel message."

I submit that we need reminders.  The Old Testament has plenty of examples where the people of God were reminded of God's presence.  Even the feasts that were observed taught them about the presence and ways of God. I don't think that Luke Weaver is being superstitious, he is just wearing a reminder of his faith in Christ.

Of course, the greatest reminder of all, you could say, is the preeminence of the Word of God in our consciousness.  We can be motivated to hide God's Word in our hearts, as Psalm 119 talks about. 

Luke Weaver wears a physical glove to remind him of God's presence. We have spiritual gear available to "put on," as well.  Paul writes in Ephesians 6 about the "full armor of God." The 4th chapter of Ephesians tells us to put on the new man and put off the old. Romans 13 tells us to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ."  We have to make sure that we are appropriately and effectively dressed for battle.