The perfect puzzle

~Luke 11: 1-4 Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”
² So He said to them, “When you pray, say:

Our Father in heaven
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
³ Give us day by day our daily bread.
⁴ And forgive us our sins,
For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.”

 

I grew up going to a Cumberland Presbyterian church where this prayer was said often so I learned it at an early age. However, I just recently learned to pray it as I understand the actual meaning and don't just recite it. This is the absolute perfect prayer for lots of reasons number one being that Jesus specifically said "When you pray, say:" That should be enough but I think this prayer is probably not used as often as it should be. When I break it down and read it I see this: Lord in Heaven your name is Holy, Let your kingdom come down and be on Earth what it is in Heaven, Let your will be done for us. give us food today and forgive us for our sins as you help us learn to forgive others. Keep us from temptation and save us from the evil one.

Keep in mind that I am no bible scholar and this is JUST WHAT I SEE when I read this. What do you see when you read it? Maybe it's like the rest of the bible in that it speaks differently to different people. I probably see the Kingdom of Heaven coming down because that is what I long for most, to be whole again, and to be near my Savior. Maybe you will relate more to being kept safe from the evil ones temptations. The  beauty of the bible and this prayer is that its THE living word! There is nothing that we need to know that is not in there. The bible is not a total history book of the Earth, its a guide to our salvation and it lives today and everyday. It will teach us how to live and how to be alive.

There is also a lot that I wish was included in the bible. I understand what I type, that the word is a guide to how we can be alive and be free! However, it's like everything else I still have my "why's" hanging around. For instance (you knew it was coming right?) . Why does my will for this life have to be so different than God's ? There is a reason for that, the reason is that I am only human and I can only SEE one tiny piece of the puzzle. Think about how small of a piece one life is compared to all the other lives that have been or will be! The beauty is that one life (or puzzle piece) has the potential to affect thousands and thousands of pieces, ultimately finishing the perfected work of the most perfect artist. Without one single tiny piece the puzzle is not complete. He needs us, but He needs us to do His work so the puzzle will be perfect in the end. If each of us had an easy, pain free life how would that effect others and bring them to Christ? How could the perfect unscathed human life bring hope to another? Our lives here are sometimes broken, full of heartache, and physical and emotional pain that is at times unbearable, but it's all for a purpose. 

The truth is (and this is not news to anyone who knows me personally)I have always hated puzzles.  My kids have zero puzzles in my home and not a soul who knows me would dare give them one. I don't have the patience to keep digging through the huge pile to find the right piece. Then I think "who cares its just gonna be the picture on the box when we get done slaving away, I already know what it will be!" Its a pointless mess in my opinion. The difference is that we don't know what God's masterpiece puzzle will look like. It looks like a pointless mess to us but you can bet it will be beautifully broken in spots and utterly perfect.  We will SEE the puzzle complete and I dare to say that I believe it will be in my lifetime. Maybe that's because I want it so badly.

 

~Philippians 1:29
For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him