Baseball Devotion- Joshua

If you are like my family and find yourself at the ballpark on Sundays instead of church, try sharing a quick devotion with your team or with your family! Here is one I wrote for this week. Please feel free to use it as you see fit.

Important note: I am a Bible enthusiast and daily reader, but not by any means a Bible scholar. If you find something that needs correcting please let me know and I will get it fixed!

Baseball Devotion – Joshua

(From Joshua 6)

Does anyone know the story of Joshua and the walls of Jericho? 

• pause and let them answer, then summarize it for them and anyone who may be new to the story

After Moses died, Joshua was in charge of leading God’s people into the Promised Land. One of the first cities they had to conquer was Jericho. God told Joshua that He would help them defeat this city, but only by following clear instructions. He told Joshua:

1. March around the city one time with all the soldiers, with priests in front, carrying the ark of the covenant. Do this for six days (Joshua 6:3-4)
2. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, but have the priests blow trumpets. Then, give one long blast of the trumpets and have everyone shout really loud. Then the wall will fall. (Joshua 6:4-5)

These seem like strange instructions, right? God didn’t say “bring your biggest weapons” or “bring your toughest soldiers.” He just told Joshua to follow His instructions and trust Him. 

And guess what? They did exactly what God said, and the wall fell! They took the city! 

So how can we relate this to baseball? 

-pause and let them answer if they can. 

Well, just like Joshua and the Israelites trusted God to defeat Jericho, you guys have to trust what your coaches have taught you in practice. Trust your training and be confident! Believe that they’ve taught you exactly what to do. 

Notice that Israel didn’t defeat Jericho right away. I imagine that that a lot of the Israelite soldiers probably thought all that walking was a waste of time, but it wasn’t! It took patience, trust, and confidence that God was with them; and the walls came down just like He promised. 

Does anyone know the famous words God told Joshua?

“…Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” -Joshua 1:9 (NIV)

This is God’s promise for you too. Nothing is too big or small to talk to Him about. Ask Him to be with you today- when you’re up to bat, standing on the pitcher’s mound, or waiting on a ball in the outfield. If something doesn’t go your way, remember God’s words to Joshua: “don’t be discouraged”. Trust that any mistakes will be lessons to get better! And this week – ask Him to be with you when you take that test, or have a tough conversation with a friend. Then trust Him. Be confident that He is leading you in the best path for you, because His plans for you are better than we could ever imagine!

And most importantly, we can trust in Jesus as our Savior! He took the punishment for our sins on the cross and was resurrected three days later. When we believe in Him for the forgiveness of our sins, He gives us a new heart and renews our mind as we study His Word! That is the BEST news ever!

Lord, thank you for this day and for the opportunity to play baseball. Thank you for all of our coaches and for every member of this team. Most of all, Lord, we thank you that you are always with us. Fill us with confidence and trust today as we remember what we’ve been taught. Help us to be strong and courageous like Joshua , not because we are strong by ourselves, but because our strength comes from you. 

In Jesus’s name,

Amen