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GLEANINGS FROM THE WORD Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life

  

Issue #1,196 October 6,2004 Puzzled   Over the years, I've had an on again off again love affair with jigsaw puzzles. I would work on them compulsively and do puzzle after puzzle, then stop and not do another for years. There were times when the kitchen table couldn't be used for eating because there was always a partially completed puzzle underway. We tried doing them on boards, but then finding a spot to keep the board was always a hassle. The boards just fit best on the table. We tried the roll up felt puzzle maps but they never seemed to work quite right. I'm told there are now jigsaw puzzles made of thick foam which keeps the pieces together better when they have to be put away for a while. Perhaps I'll try one of them one day. There was always a sense of satisfaction in finally completing the puzzle. Every now and then though, when we got down to the last few pieces we'd find that one was missing. That proved to be very frustrating. There was nothing that could be done about it either. Even if you bought an identical puzzle just to get the missing piece, you were still left with an incomplete new puzzle that was missing the piece. Something similar happens with God. He created us with a piece missing in our spirit. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV We try to fill the void with many things but none of the seems to work. Money; power; fame; sex; drugs; possessions; careers; adrenalin sports; marriage; repeated marriages; extra-marital affairs; children and more get thrown at the void. All fail to perfectly fill the hole. There is only one thing that can fill that hole, a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The blessing of course is that the void tells us there is more to life. It helps us to seek the fulfillment and can lead us to being restored to God our Father through Christ. Until next time rejoice in the fact that He left us something to cause us to search for Him. Hallelu Yah (Praise God) Be blessed Kevin

Never let the enemy tell you that you are worthless or insignificant. You have value in the eyes of God so great that it was worth dying for. You are a blessing to the world. You are so precious to God that heaven will not be complete without you.

 

HELP FOR THE HURTING You know the void. Nothing you've tried ever satisfies it. You might find momentary contentment or happiness but it's just as quickly gone again. There is only one way to fill it, with Jesus Christ. Will you give your life to Him today? If you want to know how to do that simply email us and we'll send you some Bible verses that will explain it to you. You can simply begin the relationship by honestly and completely opening your heart; admitting you need God's help; turning away from your sin and saying a prayer along the lines of the one below. There isn't any "magic" in the prayer; it's simply a way to open up to the gift that Jesus already bought for you with His very life. You can't earn it. You don't deserve it. He freely offers it to all who will accept it. Jesus: I have made many mistakes in my life and done things I am not proud of. I have sinned. I need your love and forgiveness. I believe that you came into this world and gave your life on a cross to pay for my sins and that you defeated death and rose again. Please forgive me, and be the Lord of my life. I give my life to you Lord. Amen If you pray this prayer for the first time let me know so I can rejoice with you. It's not the end of the process. It is the beginning of a wonderful journey to become more like Jesus. It's your starting point.

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