God's Coaching #112

God's Coaching #112

Nobody said Mike Bordick’s job would be easy. In December 1996, the Baltimore Orioles signed Mike, a free agent from the Oakland Athletics, to be their shortstop the following season. This was huge news in Baltimore because it effectively ended superstar Cal Ripken’s 14-year run as the team’s shortstop. In 1997, Cal, who had redefined the shortstop position in the 1980s, shifted to third base, and Mike took over at shortstop. No pressure, right?

Actually, Mike thrived. Some of the best seasons of his 14-year career came in Baltimore. His defensive wizardry helped Orioles fans move past Cal’s era at shortstop. During Mike’s five-plus seasons with the Orioles, he posted a better career fielding percentage (.982) than Hall of Famers such as Cal and Ozzie Smith, who were considered two of the greatest shortstops of all time. Still, no one expected what happened in 2002. That’s when Mike set major-league records for consecutive errorless games at 110. In fact, in 117 games and with 570 chances, Mike only made one error!

What’s the Score?

Defensively, Mike’s 2002 season stands out as one of the best. But if you want to be nitpicky, it wasn’t perfect. He still made an error. It’s pretty tough to be error free, whether in baseball, on a test, or in anything really. That’s what makes the Bible so amazing. The Bible has—drumroll, please—no errors! If the Bible had any errors, it would cease to be Holy Scripture. We couldn’t rely on it. One error would turn the Bible into a book of lies because it claims to be the inspired, error-free Word of God. And who wants to live his or her life based on a mistake-filled book?

But God’s Word doesn’t contain any errors. Not a single one. Since it is “inspired by God” (2 Timothy 3:16), it is perfect in every way because God himself is perfect. When we read the Scriptures—from Genesis to Revelation—we can be fully assured that they are completely trustworthy and error free. As Psalm 33:4 says, “The word of the LORD holds true.” That’s a book worth reading!

On the Ball

Try to play your favorite video game or sport perfectly. You’ll quickly realize it’s not possible. Each time you make an error, consider how amazing it is that God’s Word is error free.

Coach’s Comment

The word of the LORD holds true, and we can trust everything he does. Psalm 33:4