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Listen while you read: "Open My Eyes That I May See"1 (Lyrics) |
Romans 12:4-5 – Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. (NIV)
Recently, a friend loaned me a jigsaw puzzle. In the past, I'd considered working jigsaw puzzles to be a waste of valuable time. Finally, during a seemingly aimless part of a day, I decided to tackle it and dumped the pieces on a table. This particular 500-piece puzzle had a striking picture with bright, shiny colours and intricate patterns. Then began the process of handling the pieces, turning each one over to the picture side, and then, sorting and arranging them by colours and straight edges. From the chaos of a pile of 500 cardboard pieces, there began a gradual formation of something with definition and beauty. I could identify the dominant and main parts of the picture, and it became easier to find those pieces. With each discovery of another piece that fit, I found pleasure and satisfaction. But as the various easy parts were placed in the approximate area where they probably should be, the harder job began. Left on the table were around 250 non-descript pieces that all seemed to look alike. I would need a closer look! They were not alike, but unique. Each had a specific shape and could fit into only one place in the whole puzzle. I also discovered that even an odd, dull, overlooked piece was in fact necessary to connect to the rest.
All of these observations reminded me that the puzzle was like the church. God's church is made up of individual believers. Some may stand out and be in the spotlight for a period. Others may be mostly in the background supporting the whole. When disconnected from other believers, we become useless. But when we are truly united in love as the body of Christ, the world will know that we are Christians by our love. So, my time of working the puzzle was not a waste, but full of useful contemplation about my place, and yours, in the body of Christ.
Here are some Scriptures that ran through my mind during the joining together of the puzzle pieces.
Ephesians 2:21-22 – In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. (NIV)
Ephesians 4:16 – Christ has put each part of the church in its right place. Each part helps other parts. This is what is needed to keep the whole body together. In this way, the whole body grows strong in love. (NLV)
Friends, these current times have separated us. Each of us is an important and precious part of the body of Christ. Let us ask God to bring us together. Let us return to unity and corporate worship and service.
Prayer: Bind us together, Lord, bind us together with cords that cannot be broken. Bind us together with love. Amen.
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Amen, Sharon.
Good one. Thank you. Have forwarded to all my puzzle friends.
Excellent! Really a helpful and encouraging picture! Thank you for sharing.
Wow, what a brilliant comparison. Thank you so much. May God bless and keep you.
Thanks, Sharon. This is important. Too many churches have been destroyed by disunity.
Thank you, Sharon, for sharing this encouraging devotional with us!
Blessings.
Great metaphor ….all part of the puzzle.
Always pray for all the suggested people in need mentioned.
Well done! This puzzle-themed devotional is well-constructed and certainly has a good lesson and aim. Here’s to unity!
O SHARON! What a Magnificent Devotional that I shall remember always when puzzles come up! The scriptures fit so perfectly with the doing. Thanks for sharing it today.
So true a revelation you have shared, my sister in Christ Jesus, because of Jesus we NEVER can give up in our Faith.
Thank you.
Greetings Sharon,
Thanks for your devotional this morning. Very good analogy you have featured giving good meaning of how the Lord “binds us together”. Blessings for writing.
So encouraging as we start to come together again. Thanks!
It has been a strange time, but we are not alone.
God our Lord is with us.
Praise His Holy Name.
Hi Sharon
What a great picture of the Church, the body of Christ. Never quite heard it that way but that is a wonderful way of putting it. Thank you.
Blessings.
Thank you for the interesting analogy of Christ’s church Sharon. Indeed, we are all different, ‘uniquely and individually crafted by our Creator.’ When we come together in Christ, we form a beautiful image that enables the world to see the love of God.
Have a blessed day.
Sharon, thank you for your transfer of how to put a puzzle together, and our working church community. I am looking forward to the time my husband and I can return to church because I miss the personal connections and service together with God during worship services. Praise God that He can cause all of his unique people work together.
Good morning, Sharon,
I have tears in my eyes. A wonderful explanation of how putting a puzzle together explains the community of a church. I love doing puzzles but would never have been able to connect it to life. My brain does not work that way so it gives me double the pleasure to read your thoughts and ideas. It is an amazing start to my day which I am sure will influence it for a long time. Thank you for sharing and encouraging us all to get back to “binding together with love”.
I love the choice of the song to go with your words because it really did open my eyes. Blessings and togetherness.
Oh, dear Sharon! this is so helpful! Since our service went online, I have not been watching. It did not meet my needs. I found other services with excellent teaching and music that engaged me and fed me. This led me to contemplate finding a new home church.
Recently, I decided to use the gift that God has given me in my church as I was able. The realization that I was still part of the Body made me accept that this IS my “home” church.
As with the analogy of the puzzle, I had found where I fit! Not as a dazzling shiny part, but a non-descript background piece, without which, the puzzle would not be complete!
Praise God – “All God’s chillun got a place in the choir”!
Blessings to you.
Thank you very well said. I also just finished a puzzle and as you said the pieces that are just scenes were harder to find where they belonged but patience and finally completion. So it is living in Covid. Our God is certainly with us, but patience and God will certainly see us through this time also. God Bless.