The Upper Room devotional reflection for Wednesday, October 26, 2022, comes to us from Jane Rager of Virginia.
10 This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”
Jeremiah 29:10-14NIV
A PIECE OF THE PUZZLE
One of my favorite pastimes is quilting, so a friend of mine gave me a jigsaw puzzle with quilts pictured on it. As I sorted and arranged the pieces, I had found one piece that was so oddly shaped, and of such a peculiar color that I was sure it was from another puzzle and had mistakenly been put into the box. I set it aside and worked diligently on the puzzle, only to find that there was a piece missing. To my surprise, the piece I had set aside fit perfectly and completed the lovely picture.
As I considered this, it made me think about God’s will for us. Just like the oddly shaped puzzle piece, we may feel like we do not fit in with those around us or struggle to understand why God does not 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.
Friends,
Isaiah 55:8 states: 8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. It is a sign of maturity when we recognize we do not know everything. Furthermore, it is a sign of spiritual maturity to realize that God’s plan for our lives is better than any we could every devise. Indeed, God’s thoughts – vision for what is possible – is much more complex than our own. God’s ways – methodology for accomplishing the impossible – far beyond our ability to conceptualize. Indeed, having faith and trust in God is an act of surrender. Surrendering our need to dictate and control in lieu of the posture of a servant. Jane’s reflection reminds us that while we view “oddly shaped, peculiar-colored pieces” as something to be set aside, God has chosen to make them essential to the tapestry of life. May you find blessed assurance in knowing that God has woven the threads, of your particularly color-filled life, into the fabric hope offered to the world as a sign love.
--Pastor Anthony
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. Amen.
-- Jane Rager
Prayer Focus:
Those who are feeling discouraged.
Thought for the day:
Today I will trust that God sees the big picture.