“Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.” — James 5:7

>> Sign up here for Sports Spectrum devotionals sent right to your email inbox <<

One of the hardest things about Major League Baseball is how long the season is. Pitchers and catchers report to spring training in mid-February, and for the better part of the calendar year, players and coaches grind their way through a 162-game season that, if they’re lucky, stretches into late October.

That’s nearly eight months of playing baseball nearly every day, often traveling across the country, being away from their families, and dealing with injuries, performance slumps and possibly even trades along the way. One game can in itself can be a rollercoaster, and teams have to get up and do it all again the next day.

But one of the beautiful parts about the long baseball season is that teams can play terribly for a month and still not be finished. Baseball resists early conclusions. It forces patience whether you want it or not.

The 2011 St. Louis Cardinals are a good reminder of that. In late August, they were 10.5 games out of a playoff spot. For many teams in that spot, the motivation to even make a run may not be there, knowing the odds are so stacked against you. But momentum can be a real thing in sports, and the Cardinals just started winning.

They were chasing the Atlanta Braves, who had begun to slide in the final weeks. On the final day of the season, the Cardinals defeated the Houston Astros, then gathered in the clubhouse to watch the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Braves and give St. Louis a miraculous playoff spot as the wild-card team.

The Cardinals stayed hot and defeated the Phillies in the National League Division Series, then beat their NL Central rival Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Championship Series.

And by now, most sports fans know how that World Series against the Texas Rangers unfolded. Twice down to their last strike in Game 6, the Cardinals pulled more magic out of a hat, eventually winning the game on a walk-off home run by David Freese. They won Game 7 the next night to claim the franchise’s 11th World Series trophy.

That story is only possible because baseball seasons are long. If the season were shorter, they’d have been done by mid-August. If everything were decided quickly, patience wouldn’t matter. But baseball rewards the teams who don’t panic, who don’t overreact and who understand that timing is as important as talent.

Scripture talks about patience the same way: “Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains” (James 5:7). While he’s waiting, the farmer still works the field. He just knows growth can’t be rushed. Likewise, faith is long-season work.

Most of life doesn’t hinge on one big moment. It’s shaped by weeks and months in which nothing dramatic happens and progress feels slow. It’s tempting to assume nothing is changing and nothing will. We feel pressure to draw conclusions too early, to quit or to force outcomes.

The Cardinals didn’t win the World Series because they felt confident in August. They won because they stayed engaged when they could’ve given up. They played the games in front of them and trusted the season to unfold.

Patience in faith looks similar. It’s continuing to pray when answers don’t come quickly, staying obedient when results lag behind effort, and refusing to assume the story is over just because the standings look bad right now.

— Cole Claybourn

>> Do you know Christ personally? Learn how you can commit your life to Him <<

>> Subscribe to Sports Spectrum Magazine for more devotionals and stories where sports and faith connect <<

>> Dive more into God’s Word with Sports Spectrum through the YouVersion Bible App <<

If you would like to submit a devotional, please email all submissions to
devotionals@sportsspectrum.com