God's Got the Lid

 "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." (Jeremiah 29:11).

     
      Are you familiar with the puzzles you put together as a child? They came in a box with a picture of what the finished puzzle should look like on the lid. Some people put the puzzle together without the use of the picture on the lid. This made the puzzle more challenging. This caused more struggle as the pieces were put together. Some pieces appeared to fit together, but in reality, did not. As the puzzle pieces were put together, the picture begins to appear. It's exciting to watch as this picture comes alive...one piece at a time.  Some people wanted to always look at the picture on that lid, so they knew where the pieces went. This was less challenging and must faster to complete. 

     Every day of our lives, we are faced with choices and decisions. These choices and decisions are like puzzle pieces. Sometimes, the puzzle pieces go together smoothly and without much effort. Other times, it seems the pieces just won't fit together. We struggle and struggle and try to force them to fit together, but our efforts are in vain. We don't have the advantage of knowing how all these pieces fit together. We don't always know the outcome of each decision we make.

     We all at one time or another wish we could see what future holds. We would like to see what will happen exactly if certain decisions are made. We wonder how situations will turn out. We feel like we are blindly putting these puzzle pieces together. It seems nothing fits together and no matter how much we try to force them, those pieces just won't seem to fit. When the pieces don't fit, we try others and keep trying until we get it right. There must be an easier way. 

     Well, God sees all and knows all. He knows the end from the beginning, and He can see the big picture. He knows what the final outcome will be. He is wiser than we are. So, we could say that God has the lid to our box, and knows where each piece needs to go. If we listen to Him and obey Him, He will guide us as we make each decision. If we trust Him to lead us in our daily lives, then the pieces will fall into place the way He wants them to.  

     So many people blame God when their lives don't go as they planned. They get angry with Him and bitter towards Him. The decisions (puzzle pieces) are in our hands. It is up to us what we make out of our lives. It is up to us if we are blessed or cursed. It is up to us if the puzzle fits together or not. 

     Trust God. He knows what He is doing. He is involved in our lives every day. Don't resist His instruction and His guidance. He is not out to harm you. He loves you so much. He wants to bless and give you a future. However, if you are unwilling to allow Him to lead and guide you, then that future will be unpleasant and destructive. Follow Him, listen to Him, trust Him. He will not disappoint you.