Right now, Arizona is filled with professional baseball teams. It’s Spring Training!
On any given day baseball fans can go to a number of stadiums and watch the workouts and exhibition games. The teams’ coaches are watching carefully – they will make notes, instruct and critique each players abilities and when Spring Training is over some players will go home, they’ll be cut from the roster.
I remember when I was a kid, I would often be the last one picked for the backyard softball team. I wasn’t very good. I was uncoordinated and couldn’t throw well and my batting skills were less than stellar.
Even now I wouldn’t be chosen for my sense of fashion, education, exceptional good looks, financial status or my athletic abilities. Does that hurt my feelings like it used to? No.
You see I realize that I have been chosen for a team and it’s not because of my talents or abilities but it’s because of the Captain’s amazing love and acceptance.
If you’re feeling left out today, unaccepted, untalented, or lacking, focus on this:
“But you are his chosen people, the King’s priests. You are a holy nation, people who belong to God. He chose you to tell about the wonderful things he has done. He brought you out of the darkness of sin into his wonderful light. 10 In the past you were not a special people, but now you are God’s people. Once you had not received mercy, but now God has given you his mercy.” I Peter 2:9-10 ERV
“Just as I swore in the time of Noah that I would never again let a flood cover the earth,
so now I swear that I will never again be angry and punish you. 10 For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken,’ says the Lord, who has mercy on you. Isaiah 54:9-10 NLT
“God was kind and decided that Christ would choose us to be God’s own adopted children. 6 God was very kind to us because of the Son he dearly loves, and so we should praise God. 7-8 Christ sacrificed his life’s blood to set us free, which means that our sins are now forgiven. Christ did this because God was so kind to us. God has great wisdom and understanding, 9 and by what Christ has done, God has shown us his own mysterious ways.” Ephesians 1:5-9 CEV
“I am the Lord your God. I am holding your hand, so don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.” Isaiah 41:13 CEV
“I am with you, and I will protect you everywhere you go. I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised.” Genesis 28:15 ERV
I can hear Jesus speaking these words of acceptance and encouragement. He’s written my name and yours on the roster.
It’s time to swing for the fences because we’ve been chosen by God Almighty!
Thanks very much for this. My gym teacher in grade 7 and 8 told me it was no wonder I was always chosen last because I was such a lousy player. He graded me a D while I received A’s in all other subjects. Little did he know that I was legally blind in one eye and therefore uncoordinated. Never mind that I represented my school in grade 9 for the 100 m and that at age 66 I can run 5km three times a week!
Jane, thank you for sharing. This reminds me of a saying I have always heard. “God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies those He calls”.