When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came powerfully upon him, and he burned with anger. He took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent the pieces by messengers throughout Israel, proclaiming, “This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not follow Saul and Samuel.” Then the terror of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out together as one.
1 Samuel 11:6-7 (NIV)

Wendy and I love baseball, and our Chicago Cubs. Living in Iowa affords us the opportunity of following the Iowa Cubs, Chicago’s Triple-A farm team. It’s so fun watching the team’s young talent come up through the ranks. Over the years there are so many young players we’ve gotten to know and love before most of Cubs Nation have even heard their names.

It’s one of the nuances that you find is part of the game when you really follow baseball. The rookie player gets called up and has instant impact.

“Is this the next Hall of Famer?”
“Maybe this kid will take our team to the next level!”
“He’s got ‘Rookie of the Year’ written all over him!”

Today’s chapter is fascinating because as it opens we find the newly anointed King Saul … farming.

No crown.
No throne.
No harem.

Young King Saul is dirty, sweaty, and working behind a pair of oxen in the field when word reaches him about a territorial threat to two of the twelve tribes who lived east of the Jordan River.

This is it. The moment. Saul is down on the farm, but the phone just rang in the dugout. He’s getting called up to The Show, and his debut is going to be the lead story on SportsCenter tomorrow.

Saul does everything right.

He is bold and courageous in calling the nation together.
He is humble, acknowledging Samuel as a co-leader.
He is authoritative in his leadership.
He is cunning in his military strategy.
He is victorious.
In victory, he is gracious to his detractors.
He gives the glory to God.

Saul doesn’t strike out. Not once. He bats 1.000 in his debut, knocks it out of the park, and seals the victory over one of their hated rivals.

Israel Nation is buzzing. The Rookie of the Year has arrived.

But here’s the thing that every baseball fan has experienced. It’s a long season. A great start does not guarantee success in the grind of games. As I write these words in the quiet this morning, the names and faces of players come to mind. So many young players with amazing debuts that had everyone thinking Rookie of the Year and future Hall of Famer, only to become a sports trivia question on the television broadcast during the rain delay.

“What rookie batted 1.000 in his debut back in 1996?”

In today’s chapter, the Spirit came powerfully upon Saul, and he played one heck of a game. But among the fruit of that same Spirit is faithfulness, and it’s a long season. He’s not going to be Rookie of the Year. In fact, by the end of the season the club is going to be desperate to cut him from the team.

In the quiet this morning, Saul’s debut soberly reminds me that this earthly life is a long season. God’s desire for me is not one game of brilliance in which I batted a thousand, but quietly showing up every day and playing a complete season marked by patience, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control. That’s a contribution that’s a win-win for the team and me.

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