Praying To Be Properly Connected to Jesus And One Another

What have you done to pass the time during this season of the pandemic?  I don't know how many folks and families enjoy doing jigsaw puzzles but it's clear to me from what I see on Facebook that a number of my family enjoy them.  They are complicated and have all sorts of pieces but the end result of so many is beautiful.  One recent one was of some food - cupcakes I think - and my relative said they felt hungry the whole time they were working on it!! 

I enjoy doing jigsaw puzzles as well.  The only problem for me is that I see so many more connections from midnight to 2am than I do at other times in the day!!  Not so great for all the other things I need to do the next day. 

So, during this season I've been using an app on my iPad.  I can take a scene they present or one of my own pictures and it will break it up into puzzle pieces. I look at how much time then decide how many pieces I want the picture broken into.  Sometimes I'm fast at getting them together and at other times my time is up before the puzzle is put together.

We all know that it's helpful to find and link up all the border pieces first and then do other parts.  That all got me thinking of these verses for how everything in life is held together by Jesus Christ.  In our puzzle of life Jesus is first and everything that is of life is linked through Him.

For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Colossians 1:16-20

Well Lord Jesus, we are so grateful that You have done everything needed so we can have a living connection to our Heavenly Father and with everyone else who is part of His family.  We are not just random disconnected bits during this difficult time but we are created by You with a specific place and specific connections in whole wonderful cosmic plan. 

You can see the whole picture. We can’t so we come to You again today seeking wisdom and strength to see where we fit and what we are a part of in Your plan.  Just like we consult the picture on the box of a puzzle to get a sense of where pieces fit and what goes together with what, so we want to consult Your Word today which has everything we need  for the life You planned for us.

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 2 Peter 1:3-4

Thank you for keeping it simple for us by simply calling us to come to know You and trust in Your amazing promises.  Help us today to not over-complicate things but to move one step at a time, one day at a time to live into the fullness of the plan You have in mind for us.  As we link one piece to another and one section of a puzzle to another so help us to make the connections You have shown us will accomplish this.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:5-8

Thank You for holding us and all things together today.  We certainly need to know that during these times when so much seems scattered and disconnected.  Amen