We Are All Part of a Puzzle
When our children were young, I bought puzzles with small knobs on the pieces to help them fit them together. As they grew older, the pieces became smaller and more numerous. By their teenage years, I bought much harder puzzles, and we worked on them while vacationing. When the beautiful puzzles were finished, we felt a sense of accomplishment but also sadness as we took them apart and put them back in the box. One day the Lord spoke to my heart: “It’s not about the puzzle, but the quality time spent with the children.” As my children grew up and puzzling was no longer important to them, I stopped putting puzzles together. It was too frustrating to find the right pieces and I found myself wanting to take out my scissors and cut them to match. Of course I would have ruined the puzzles and short-cut the process had I attempted to do this! When the pieces of our life don’t seem to fit, we are tempted to short-cut the process of what God is doing in our lives.
Genesis 1:1 begins with “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” The word created in Hebrew is bara’ which suggests creating something from nothing. “The earth was without form, and void; darkness was on the face of the deep” (Genesis 1:2 NKJV). The word bara’ also means taking something and transforming it into something new. This is God’s specialty.
From nothing, God created the sun, moon, stars, land, sea, vegetation, and animals, each with a distinct function that makes up the whole universe. The trees provide shade, beauty, and lumber. The rain gives us water to drink, bathe in, and enjoy through recreational activities like waterskiing and snowskiing. The animals and vegetation provide us with beauty and food. The blooming plants bring us joy. In everything God created, there is order and intention. Yet He never stops building and creating the world for us to enjoy. He continually puts the puzzle pieces together to form a beautiful masterpiece.
Just as He does with nature, God created every person to be unique and participate in the masterpiece of creation. When we are joined with others like pieces of a puzzle, we reflect the image of God in a kaleidoscope of gifts and talents and personalities. Inside each of us, He put strength and purpose. As Paul writes, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10 NIV). Yet Satan wants to tear apart the masterpiece that God is creating. Through our disobedience or impatience, the enemy takes out his scissors and starts cutting the pieces to fit imperfectly. His goal is to destroy the plans God has for us.
Yet the trials we go through are meant to be used by God to create a landscape that reflects His glory, not ours. It is no mistake you were born at this time. It is no mistake you live where you live. It is no mistake you were born into your family, even if it is dysfunctional. God does not make mistakes. He has a plan to put the pieces of your puzzle together—no matter what you are facing.
I have had my fair share of trials and tests and there will be more. It is how I respond to those challenges that determine how I allow the Master puzzle maker to fit the pieces of my life together. With every challenge, I have a choice to hold onto the promises of God or complain and have a pity party. (Believe me I have thrown a few of those and they never help!) Rebelling against His will or having pity parties never fits into the beautiful masterpiece He is creating out of our trials. If we do not have the tools to manage these tests, then the pieces of our lives get out of whack and we fail to see the landscape of what God wants to teach us. What are some tools God gives us to be victorious?
Pray, fast, and ask God for wisdom. “Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding” (Proverbs 3:13 NKJV).
Realize trials and tests give us the opportunity to know God better. How? By seeking Him. We start digging into scripture and spending more time with Him. Our prayer life ramps up. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:13 NKJV).
Stay steadfast in your faith. “Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world” (1 Peter 5:9 NKJV).
Acknowledge the Lord is with you. “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20b ESV).
Trust and hope in Him. “Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep his promise” (Hebrews 10:23 NLT).
Give praise and thanksgiving. “I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving (Psalm 69:30 ESV).
Wait. “Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord” (Psalm 27:14 NASB).
As God’s children, we are always learning new things about Him and growing in our faith. No matter how devastating or difficult our trials are, we can choose to view them negatively or positively. These tests are maturing us to be more like Him. No one likes to go through hard tests, but if we want to be more like Jesus, we can allow them to grow us into the people He desires us to be: fearless warriors of the faith who believe the Master puzzlemaker is putting all the pieces together for His glory.
Let’s pray:
Lord, when painful challenges come my way, help me trust in You. I refuse to bow to complaining and self-pity. As Romans 8:29 reminds us, we are predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ; I surrender to your work in my life to make me more like you. Thank you for creating a masterpiece out of my trials that shows people who you are. As I walk through the valley, you are with me—and that is enough. Thank You precious Lord. In Jesus’s name, Amen.
