The Big Picture

 

By Andrea Merrell

And we know that all things work together 

for good to those who love God,

to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:28 NKJV

 

With the edges firmly in place, we went to work on the inner portion of the puzzle. With so much similarity in colors and all the oddly shaped pieces, it turned out to be quite the challenge. Just when we thought we had it mastered, something didn’t quite fit.

Jigsaw puzzles have been around since the 1700s and come in a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes. The key to putting them together—and many times the only way to keep our sanity— is an occasional glance at the picture on the top of the box.

Our life is much like one of those puzzles, especially when the pieces don’t seem to fit together and we have no picture to go by.

The good news for us is that God already sees and knows the big picture, and He lovingly and methodically puts the pieces in place as we learn to trust Him. In the same way we can’t force the puzzle together, we can’t force portions of our life to line up the way we want them to when God has other plans. When we try to make it happen, the picture gets distorted.

We’re all familiar with the Scripture about all things working together for good (Romans 8:28), but I love the way the Passion translation explains it:

So we are convinced that every detail of our lives is continually woven together for good, for we are his lovers who have been called to fulfill his designed purpose. For he knew all about us before we were born and he destined us from the beginning to share the likeness of his Son.

The big picture for us is being conformed to the image and likeness of our Lord and Savior Jesus, and only the Father knows what that looks like for each of us.

Trust Him to put all the pieces—even the broken and ragged ones—of your life together. The results will be amazing, and you won’t be disappointed.

Photo by Hans-Peter Gauster on Unsplash

 

Pulling Down Strongholds

 

By Andrea Merrell

For the weapons of our warfare are not physical

[weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God

for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds.

2 Corinthians 10:4 AMPC

Do you have a stronghold in your life? I’ve certainly had a few.

Merriam-Webster’s describes stronghold as something fortified. In the Christian’s life, it can be anything that exalts itself against the knowledge—and the Word—of God, our ultimate truth.

Many times we receive wrong teaching that goes against that truth. It could be a conviction, a belief, or a habit. According to The Word for You Today, these are some of the most common strongholds we deal with:

• Guilt – God could never forgive me.
• Resentment – I could never forgive that person.
• Self-pity – Bad things always happen to me.
• Pride – I have to be in charge.
• Rejection – I don’t deserve to be loved.
• Defeat – I’ll never recover.
• Performance – I must be good or God will reject me.
• Appearance – I’m only as good as I look.
• Materialism – My value equals my possessions.

The good news is God never intended for us to live under these false premises. Strongholds are meant to be broken, and He has given us the tools: His Word, prayer, fasting, the name of Jesus, the blood of Jesus, and His very own weapons of warfare (see Ephesians 6).

Don’t allow strongholds to keep you imprisoned in a state of perpetual frustration and even depression. Use God’s mighty weapons to overthrow, destroy, and completely obliterate them.

Photo by Daria Lyalyulina on Unsplash

Finding Your True Self

 

By Andrea Merrell

 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;

old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV

 

My friend and I were discussing the past, which brought up a plethora of memories—many good, others not so much.

I thought about the struggles I faced in those earlier years with fear. Low self-esteem. Anger. Trying desperately to fit in. I was, as they say, a hot mess.

Fortunately, I hardly recognize that person any longer. In a way, it’s like she never existed. It’s hard to look back and try to remember her at all because so much has changed.

The Bible explains it as becoming a new creation in Christ. The old passes away, and everything becomes new. The Passion translation puts it like this:

Now, if anyone is enfolded into Christ, he has become an entirely new person. All that is related to the old order has vanished. Behold, everything is fresh and new.

During those rough years, I had no clue who I was. I constantly searched for my identity, my true self. And it was only found when I realized who I am in Christ. How He sees me. What He says about me in His Word. Once I surrendered completely to Him, my life changed dramatically and I became, just as the Bible says, an entirely new person.

If you’re searching to find your true self, stop looking in all the wrong places. Your worth, your identity, and all that you were created to be is found only in Christ.

Photo by Giulia Bertelli on Unsplash

That Still, Small Voice

 

By Andrea Merrell

But the Lord was not in the wind; 

and after the wind an earthquake,

but the Lord was not in the earthquake;  

and after the earthquake a fire,

but the Lord was not in the fire; 

and after the fire a still small voice.

1 Kings 19: 11-12 NKJV

“What does God sound like?” the little girl asked her mother.

Her mother thought long and hard before answering. “Sometimes like a whisper.”

The child’s eyes widened. “You mean like when you lean over close to me in church and go shhhh?”

The mother chuckled. “Yes, something like that.”

So many of God’s children struggle to hear His voice. They wait for a thunderclap, a loud command, or even the proverbial writing on the wall.

Elijah the prophet was no different. He listened for God in a powerful wind, an earthquake, and a great fire. But what he heard instead was a still, small voice. A gentle whisper.

God speaks to His own in many different ways, but He is always communicating with us. One thing we can count on is that His voice is never harsh, condemning, or overpowering. That, my friend, is the voice of the Enemy.

Jesus Himself said, “My sheep hear my voice” (John 10:27). Jesus, our loving Shepherd tenderly cares for those who follow Him.

Are you following Him. Are you listening for that still, small voice?

Photo courtesy of Microsoft 365.

A Good Work Ethic

 

By Andrea Merrell

And whatever you do, do it heartily, 

as to the Lord and not to men.

Colossians 3:23 NKJV

“You want me to do what?” the woman exclaimed with a shocked look on her face. “That’s way beneath my pay grade—and beneath me!”

To solve the problem, the boss jumped in and cleaned up the mess.

Then he fired the woman.

Finding those with a good work ethic is getting harder in today’s society where the new generations seem to be born with entitlement issues, expecting to have everything handed to them. Many think work is beneath them.

But God created work right after He created man. He delighted in His creation, then gave him the responsibility of tending the garden.

According to The Word for You Today, “Work gives us a sense of purpose, meaning, and dignity. There are no small jobs, only people who perceive them as small and become small in doing them.”

The woman thought she was too good to do menial tasks, and her pride cost her a high-paying job.

What is the key to building and maintaining a good work ethic? Doing the very best job we can and doing it as unto the Lord—for His approval alone.

Someone once said, “Every job is a self-portrait of the person who does it. Autograph your work with excellence.”

Photo by Merakist on Unsplash