I love jigsaw puzzles. Finding the edge pieces to make the frame. Looking at the colors and shapes to find the exact fit. I love separating the pieces, so the actual assembling of the puzzle goes quickly. I often refer to the box lid to be sure everything is going according to plan. If I can’t see the big picture, frustration sets in.
I am so glad to have a God who doesn’t need a box lid to put the pieces together. Even when I don’t see it, He’s working. He takes my prayers and answers them in ways beyond imagination. In Isaiah 55:9, we read,
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
When our children were young, I had big ideas and plans for their futures. But the biggest prayer I prayed was that they be faithful Christians. As adults, all three of them are actively involved in ministry.
To this point in my life, the pieces of my jigsaw puzzle have straight edges and a clear color scheme.
In Ezekiel 37, the prophet is placed in front of an impossible puzzle. In a valley of dry bones, God asks, “Can these bones live?” In verse 2, Ezekiel answers, “Lord God, thou knowest.” What a response! What a relief to know that impossible puzzles are God’s specialty.
Perhaps your puzzle has wavy edges. Maybe the colors are not distinct. You can’t seem to put the pieces into place. No matter how you try to manipulate them, they just won’t fit. It can be tempting to give up. But the good news is, you don’t have to assemble the puzzle. When you can’t see the big picture, He is working. When you can’t find the right connections, He is working.
Don’t get discouraged when you can’t see the final picture. Don’t get frustrated when the pieces of the puzzle do not go together. Don’t feel alone or abandoned. When you can’t see it, He is working.
In II Kings 6, the servant of Elisha was frightened because of the armies surrounding them. Elisha responded, “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them” (II Kings 6:16).
In the puzzle of your life, remember you are not assembling it alone. When you can’t see it, He is working!
Note: This devotional was originally published in the Ladies Prayer International newsletter. Sign-up for the newsletter today.
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