Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."
I have always been one who enjoys a friendly game of whatever. Monopoly is fun if you can finish the game in less than half a day, Life is well...not like real life so it can be fun, and Trivial Pursuit has questions about things either A) you never knew existed, B) never cared existed, C) wish did not exist, or D) somehow made it into your brain somewhere along the line.
Apart from games I have never been one who enjoys doing puzzles. Wait please before you turn away because I have offended you. All you puzzle mavens out there please hear me out. Yes, puzzles have some really awesome or very cool pictures on them. Yes, they can provide hours of great bonding time for people who enjoy the seemingly endless hunt for pieces that somehow all look the same and have nearly the same shape as the other 9,999 pieces lying beside them. And yes, once you finish the puzzle it gives a sense of deep accomplishment for having endured to the end of recreating that which is printed on the box-top. But for me that endless search for like-pieces and going back and forth looking at the box-top serves only to give me a headache and nearly-crossed eyes.
Sometimes our lives feel like a great big puzzle too don't they? There are so many things we don't understand or perhaps we struggle to find meaning in events that disappoint us. Life becomes a little like doing a puzzle some days. We want to be able to look at our life and see all the pieces fit into place nicely and without too much searching. Life is good when it's like a preschool puzzle. You know, the ones with 5-10 pieces and you can put it together in about 30 seconds. Life is hard and almost unbearable when it's like one of those impossible puzzles that have the same image printed on the front and back of the pieces and there are no edge pieces.
How do we pull it together when we fall into the later category of the impossible puzzle? I think at least part of the answer is that we stop searching and start praying. Ironically, when we stop searching and start praying we are actually still searching, but instead of searching in the darkness of this world we begin searching for the One that can lead us to an eternity of life and happiness.
When you and I search for God through prayer He becomes the One who puts all our pieces in order. He takes our lives and makes things happen when all we could see were random pieces and odd-shaped holes. The Lord has promised in His word that He has plans for us. His plans are ones that will lead to prosperity and joy. Following His plan does not guarantee that we will not experience suffering, but His plans promises to see us through till the end and make us victorious despite our sufferings. It happened for Christ and it can happen for us too!
No, it is not easy to let go and just let God. Last week we talked about finding our strength in surrendering to God. This week I want you to realize that it is God's strength that will pick up the pieces of your life and turn them into a beautiful picture that not only brings you happiness, but will glorify Him in the process. It is my prayer that you will seek God in prayer and ask Him to put the puzzle of your life together.
Dear Father God,
We thank You for being so awesome and wonderful. Thank You for caring about the pieces of our lives. We humbly come just now and ask that You teach us how to depend on You; we come and ask that You please put our lives together. Thank You for hearing and answering our prayers. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.
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