J. P. Arencibia

J.P. Arencibia, a rookie catcher for the Toronto Blue Jays, hit a home run on the very first pitch he saw in the major leagues. On Saturday, August 7, he became only the 26^th player in history to accomplish this feat.

Rarely does one find such immediate success. David apparently felled Goliath with the first stone he slung at him (1 Sam.17:49). (Notice that David took more stones with him. When facing a giant who is threatening to kill you, it’s good to have a back-up plan!)

But for every story in the Bible of someone who enjoyed immediate success, it seems that we find other examples where patience was required of God’s people.  Take, for instance, the time when the Israelites had to wander around in the desert for 40 years before they experienced victory.

We do know that God works for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose (Rom.8:28). We don’t always know when those good things will happen. I suppose we just need to step up to the plate and do our best, and trust God for the timing of our success.