Because He said so

"He has spoken"

Genesis 18:19

Well, it's Autumn, and I'm celebrating baseball.

Partially because the playoffs start this week for Major League Baseball, and my Dodgers are in the post-season.  That's exciting.  I always watch the playoffs and the World Series, and I always enjoy it, but it's even more fun when my team is in the hunt.

But I'm also enjoying that after having the summer off, my Amazing Boy is playing baseball again.  Fall Ball, it's called around here.  It's Little League, but more relaxed.  It's more of a learning experience for boys that need it, and just some extra playing for those who don't. 

Case in point re: learning ~ the coach of one team came out in the middle of an inning to explain to the pitcher why he had just been called for a balk.  Batter's standing there at the plate, waiting for the next pitch, but no one batted an eye {so to speak} at the delay, cuz it's Fall Ball.

Case in point re: extra playing for those who love baseball ~ my Amazing Boy.  I'm not saying he's perfect, but some of these boys look like they're pretty new at the game.

Plus, at this age (13) things are about to change.  The rules get to be more like the majors, and the distances between the bases, and between home plate and the pitcher's mound, increase.  So this is a good time for the boys to start to experience that.  

Well, I told you all that so I could tell you this:  halfway through the game, the umpire had to make a difficult call, and on any difficult call, someone's gonna disagree.  The play was over by second base, so I couldn't hear very well, but I think the player that didn't get the call was trying to convince the ump that he had made the wrong call.  That the runner was really out.  Or something.  And from the stands, the boy's mother called out to her son, "The umpire is always right!"

I kind of laughed at the interesting truth of that statement.  Because of course it's not true.  Umpires are not infallible.  But when they make a decision, it's final. It's almost like rightness resides with them, and by virtue of their saying it, it becomes right.  And that led me to starting thinking about that powerful statement of umpires and parents everywhere:  "Because I said so".  That was not a statement I heard very often as a kid.  My mother was in the habit of explaining things, not just insisting on them.  But the authority still needs to be understood by kids. 

In Deuteronomy 11, God makes a proclamation that I've long thought could have been shorter than it was:  "you shall keep every commandment which I command you today..."  It's a powerful sentence, isn't it?  It's got the word "command" in it twice, really.  And I feel like, if God ever said it to me, I'd meekly reply, "Yes, Sir."

But it's not a commandment that stops there.  He goes on to tell us the "why".  And the "why" is a promise ~ "that you may be strong and go in and possess the land which you cross over to possess."

Though He could have just told them "what," He also told them "why".  And He does the same for us.  He has promises waiting for us, just as He did for the Israelites. 

We shouldn't need a reason to obey; to do what's right.  But He wants us to experience the blessings of obedience.  And He wants us to know what they are.  And seeing the fulfillment of promises already in our lives, it should be no great stretch for us to eagerly obey in the future!

~ "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:

Fear God and keep His commandments,

For this is man's all." ~

Ecclesiastes 12:13

~