Whose team are you on?

As kids, we often pick teams. Two people are named as "choosers" (captains, if the other kids will let you get away with that title). You end up on the team of the person who chose you. Did you realize that the world's population consists of just two teams? The difference is that the captain of one team chose every single person to be on His team before the other captain (Satan) got his chance to choose. The other captain, Satan, was given the right to try to "recruit" team mates from God's team. Listen:

"Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, And the LORD listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the LORD And who meditate on His name. 'They shall be Mine,' says the LORD of hosts, 'On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.' Then you shall again discern Between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God And one who does not serve Him." Malachi 3:16-18 NKJV

I wish, for the sake of children, that it said, "The people were all playing and the Lord listened to them and He could tell who loved Him and He said 'These are mine. I will give trophies to them all and protect them just as their fathers do'" By inference, that conversation also means that God can tell who did not choose to remain on His team but who chose to be with the wicked, not serving God but serving Satan.

How do we know that everyone was chosen by God? Paul instructed young Timothy to pray for all men "…that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." 1 Timothy 2:2-4 NKJV

There you have it! God desires all men be saved. In effect, He has asked all men to be on His team. You have to "opt out", or quit the team to join Satan. Does God know who will quit? Yes, He knows, even before we are born, who will love Him and we do not. We never know about the final fate of another person. We see how they live their lives and we guess whose team they are on, but only God knows the final outcome. We are to pray for our enemies and those who do not appear to love God. We should hope that they get on the winning side before the game is over.

Listen to this wonderful Psalm: The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them. The LORD preserves all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy. Psalms 145:18-20 NKJV

Aren't you sorry about those who choose to remain wicked? How can you show them how good it is to love God and be loved by our Lord and Savoir? Is it worth the effort? Is it o.k. to just let them go? Who is responsible for "winning" a soul over to the Lord's team? Do you see yourself as the captain or the team mate? Is it just too hard to be kind to an unkind person? Where can you turn for strength and courage?

Core Christian Value: God has called us all to be on His team. When we choose to follow Satan, it does not come as a surprise to God, but what is a surprise is that God still seeks us! Respond to His love.