Il Peter 2:9 – The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to preserve the unjust unto the day of judgement to be punished.
When I was sixteen years old my boyfriend tried to teach me how to play chess. I was shown how each piece was allowed to move across the board. I learned the names of each piece, their rank and placement. I learned that the ultimate goal was to capture your opponent’s Queen to win the game. I also learned that this game required a lot of strategy, observance, reading your opponent, contemplating their next move, and most of all patience. It is a game you have to really love to play and to appreciate it.
This made me think about the world and God’s creation. Each part of creation was made to play a particular role in this game of life. Only God’s opponent is Satan – one of God’s own created beings, We humans are the playing pieces. The difference between this game of life and chess is that in chess, each player can only imagine the others’ move. But in God’s “game’^(t), He knows every move that will ever take place and the outcome. His opponent, Satan, doesn’t and never will.
There are times when we humans try strategizing against God. We disobey the rules, try to sidestep directions, try to make deals with God, and even brazenly try to give Him ultimatums. The second chapter of Il Peter talks about the destruction of false teachers and doctrines. From the beginning of time, Satan has used man to challenge God, causing man to be rewarded with the ultimate punishment which is separation from God, our Creator and Father. You would think we would learn from history. But we are still doing the same things today, playing the same dangerous games, thinking we can catch God off guard.
Sure, Satan will manage to capture some playing pieces, probably many pieces. But He will never achieve the ultimate goal of defeating his opponent – God. He will never capture the Queen. In this case The King.
Father in Heaven: Help me to remember that only You are the Omniscient One, the Omnipotent Father. That You only know my destiny and have promised a way of escape from temptation. That You will never leave me or forsake me. I trust You with moving and placing me according to Your will.