A Piece of the Puzzle

Read Jeremiah 29:10-14 - plans for your welfare

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ. Ephesians 1:7-9 (NRSV)

Jane Rager lives in Virginia. One of her favorite pastimes is quilting, so a friend of hers gave Jane a jigsaw puzzle with quilts pictured on it. As Jane sorted and arranged the pieces, she found one piece that was so oddly shaped and of such a peculiar color that she was sure it was from another puzzle and had mistakenly been put into the box. Jane set it aside and worked diligently on the puzzle, only to find that there was a piece missing. To her surprise, the piece she had set aside fit perfectly and completed the lovely picture.

As jane considered this, it made her think about God's will for us. Just like the oddly shaped puzzle piece, we may feel like we don't fit in with those around us or struggle to understand why God doesn't change our current situation. But just as that piece fit perfectly into the puzzle, we fit perfectly into God's plan. God sees the whole picture while we can see only our piece. Scripture tells us that God has a plan for us. It is up to us to remain faithful, knowing that our lives will fit perfectly into God's picture.

Prayer: Dear God, help us to remain faithful to you no matter how we see our circumstances. Thank you for your Son, who gives us hope. We pray in His Holy name. Amen.