“There’s nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.”

2 Timothy 3:15-17 MSG

I have big ambitions when it comes to jigsaw puzzles. I love the challenge of finding the right fit and solving the mystery of where each piece fits in the big picture. The problem though is that I buy the ones with 1000 pieces and my patience won’t ever let me finish what I started. The beautiful picture of what I’m creating seems worthy, but the diligence of understanding where each piece fits, seems daunting. And unless I’ve had help, I have never completed one of those puzzles on my own. It goes right back into the box and forgotten about.

I have big ambitions to solve another puzzle too. It’s the beatuiful picture of Jesus’s love that is found in The Bible. Scripture, written to be transformative, shared, and testified to, should help us grow in character and maturity. But it too, can be daunting to fully understand where each piece fits into our everyday faith.

I believe there are probably many hearts lost to the lack of understanding of what the words really mean. It’s hard, for even seasoned believers, to fully understand where each piece connects to the next, and it can be overwhelmingly discouraging especially for new believers and seekers. Many, unfortunately, just give up because they can’t see the big picture.

But help can come in many ways. Sometimes the missing pieces comes from Jesus himself as we spend time in prayer and reflection. Sometimes we experience a revelation from God as we live our daily lives. Sometimes we’ll find a piece from a friend or during fellowship. And sometimes we get to put a piece in place for others.

God rejoices just to see the work begin. Even if we despise small beginnings (Zechariah 4:10), take it piece by piece and be patient. Don’t put Scripture away because it’s too big to understand. Let God and others help you put it together for His worthy cause and for the tasks He has for you.

His beautiful picture awaits! Don’t be afraid to ask! What puzzling piece can Jesus help you find today? Who might need your help with the big picture? How can someone else help you?