Wandering In The Wilderness:

Revelation 17:14 (NKJV)14These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.The Last At BatRevelation 17:14The Last At BatHave you ever been to a t-ball game before?

Every game is a big time game with World Series implications

The stands are usually filled with parents, grandparents and others close to the playersThe Last At BatInning by inning, the score of the game surges back and forth

Just about everyone who bats gets a hit, because the kids arent that good at fielding just yet

Normally, the team that has the last at bat wins the gameThe Last At BatThe coach of the visiting team is never really confident with a lead

The coach of the home team is never really discouraged at being down

When the last team gets up to bat, they just hit the ball, score their quota of runs, and win the gameLate Inning WoesPerhaps you see a parallel between this and God

No matter what the situation in life may be, God always has the last at bat

Hes never worried or troubled about the outcome of the game (Ps. 2:1-4)Late Inning WoesIsaiah speaks of some people who felt down and out of the game

Looking at the scoreboard, they felt hopeless about their plight

Isaiah 56:3 The foreigner, or Gentile, was not a citizen of Israel and was an outcastLate Inning WoesThe foreigner looked at his life situation with despair

He knew who the true God was; his idols were lifeless and useless, but he still was not a part of Gods chosen people

He felt excluded, isolated, and a second class citizenLate Inning WoesThe eunuch felt the same way as well

The eunuchs physical condition kept them from enjoying a wife and children

They were also prohibited from worshipping with the family of God in the temple or tabernacleLate Inning WoesIsaiah showed the plan of God and said that things werent always going to be that way

Christ would come and open the door so that anyone would be accepted, could worship and draw near to GodLate Inning WoesListen to these words of hope from Isaiah 56:4-7

There are times when any one of us might have felt like we were in a bad late inning deficit

It could have been based on any number of thingsLate Inning WoesIt could be due to our

Family background

Disabilities

Poor health

Sin

Someone elses sin

Events beyond our controlLate Inning WoesThose with flawed backgrounds might feel like there is no hope for them

Many of us may feel that way knowing that we were all sinners

Its the 9th inning, and theres no chance for us to winwe just see a mark in the loss column comingLate Inning WoesWhat we often forget is that the Lord has the last at bat

We forget what God can do with damaged goods

We need a remembrance of the power God and His word both have to change lives and eternal coursesFamous At BatsWe see examples of those who seemed to be low on runs in the 9th

Rahab the harlot probably didnt have a good self-image

She knew exactly who she was, what she had done and how she had lived

Her city was marked for destructionFamous At BatsWhen the opportunity came, she placed her faith in God and found deliverance and a new life among His people

She became a part of the royal lineage that birthed David, Solomon, Hezekiah, Josiah, and Jesus and is in the Hall of Fame (Heb. 11)Famous At BatsGideon, a timid amateur general, found himself with 300 unsoldier-like famers facing an invading army so vast it couldnt be numbered (Jud. 6-8)

According to the scoreboard, things didnt look good for Gideon and his small army of menFamous At BatsWhen the smoke cleared the next day, Gideon and his men were victorious

The Midianites had not counted on God stepping up to the plate

The final scored reflected the Lords hand in the gameFamous At BatsElishas servant Gehazi awoke one morning to see the hills around the city crawling with enemy troops

He ran back to his master and cried, Alas, my master! What shall we do?

Look at Elishas answer in II Kings 6:16-17Famous At BatsYes, the enemy was intimidating, but they would not have the last word

As a snapshot, things looked bleak

However, we know that life is not a snapshot, but rather a motion picture

When the credits roll at the end of time, we will see who was in controlLessons LearnedPerhaps we need to do what Elisha prayed God would do for Gehaziopen our eyes

We need to remember the power of God

Psalm 37:34-36

David knew what being in a tight situation was likeLessons LearnedVs. 39-40

David is telling us not to allow ourselves to be fooled by what the situation may look like

We need not get discouraged based upon appearances

When God gets His turn, everything changes