Proverbs 16:19 A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord
directs his steps.
We all have those wonderful people in our life who THINK they have life “all
figured out.” You can just feel
their beady little eyes peering down their nose at your own chaotic,
merry-go-round of a life. They can
barely keep the disdain from seeping out as they let loose a fountain of
advice. And sometimes you wonder, “Am I
the only one who just can’t get it together?” Every time I see a hint of blue sky, a storm
cloud moves in and strong winds scatter my puzzle pieces all over the floor…and
believe me, they’ve been stepped on multiple times.
Well here is a little secret that those “life together/figured it out
people” don’t want you to know…IT
IS JUST A FAÇADE or at the most a temporary situation. It never fails, just when I start to fit the
last puzzle piece in place, ready to lean back and say, “finally, it's finished,”
God says, “Here is a part you forgot to finish” and hands me another pile
of confusing pieces. Most of the time,
He doesn’t even let me see the box, so I can at least envision the finished
picture. BUT, that doesn’t mean, I have to put the pieces together alone. Oh no, if I will invite Him to join me, He
directs my hand to the right piece and helps me fit it in perfectly. It is only when I think I can finish the
picture on my own or change the picture to fit my ideas; when I think I have it
“all
figured out,” that I get in trouble.
Luke 12:18-19 So he said, “I will do this, I will pull down
my barns and build greater and there I will store all my crops and my goods.”
And I will say to my soul, “Soul you have many goods laid up for many years;
take your ease; eat, drink and be merry.”
Luke 12 relates a story of a man who finally had life “all
figured out.” He had spent
his life working hard, had spent his money frugally and was now ready to
rest. The final piece of the puzzle was
in his hand and he was ready to finish the picture. After all, what could be wrong with enjoying
the fruit of his labor? He would get the
barn built and spend the rest of his life pursing pleasure…He would finally get
to experience all the things he had dreamed of all those years. BUT,
he forgot to ask God to be involved…God, however, had not forgotten him or the
finished picture; He had planned for the “barn builder” from the beginning.
Luke 12:20 But God said to him, “Fool! This night your soul
will be required of you; then who will those things be which you have provided?”
OOPS!!! Not the words he wanted to hear. “The best laid plans” etc, etc, etc. How differently the ending of the story could
have been, IF ONLY…IF ONLY, he had consulted with God; IF ONLY, he had not spent his life
pursing temporary happiness; IF ONLY,
he had placed his hope in things eternal…IF
ONLY!
The ending of my story has not yet been written and my
puzzle is still unfinished, surrounded by many confusing pieces but years ago I
surrendered the pen and the box to Jesus Christ. He sees the finished picture and is writing
the beautiful ending.
