Just One Piece of the Puzzle

My husband and I are puzzle geeks. We’ve done more puzzles than I can count since we’ve been married. As often as we do them, there are still many times I’ll pick up a puzzle piece and have no idea where it could possibly belong in the big picture. But without fail, that mystery piece is always the one that completes the picture. It has a place after all.

There have been times in my life that have felt like mystery puzzle pieces. It can be hard to see how what I’m going through could possibly fit into God’s plan. Sometimes I’ve even wondered what God was doing when things weren’t going as I’d planned or expected.

In 1 Samuel 23, David has just delivered the city of Keilah from the Philistines. However, instead of this being an exciting victory for David, it turns out that Saul is heading to Keilah with an army (v. 8). Worse yet, the Lord tells David that the people of Keilah (the city he just rescued!) are going to betray him to Saul (v. 12). David is able to escape Saul by fleeing to the Deserts of Ziph (v. 14), but Saul keeps looking for him.

As Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them, a messenger came to Saul saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid against the land.” So, Saul returned from pursuing after David and went against the Philistines. (1 Samuel 23:26-28 ESV)

I imagine that this Philistine raid was a mystery puzzle piece moment for the people of Israel. The Philistines were Israel’s enemies. At face value, it’s hard to imagine that a Philistine raid against God’s chosen people could possibly fit anywhere into His divine plan.

But, as we read in 1 Samuel, just when Saul was finally about to catch up with David, this raid is what allowed David to escape! And years later David was finally able to take his rightful place as king of Israel. The Philistine raid played a small part in God’s larger plan.

Once David was made king, the Lord declared over him:

“And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.” (2 Samuel 7:16)

This promise was ultimately fulfilled through the King of Kings and Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, who was from the line of David. It turns out that the Philistine raid was in fact a small part of an even larger story—the story of our Redeemer!

Sometimes our circumstances can feel like a puzzle piece that just doesn’t fit. They make no sense. They’re unclear and confusing. We may even wonder where God is in those circumstances. But thankfully, the Lord has promised us in His Word that what the enemy intends for evil, He uses for good (Genesis 50:20)! And that for those who love God, all things work together for good (Romans 8:28). God is sovereign, and He has ensured us that all of the pieces, even the confusing ones, will work out according to His plan.

“For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the LORD who has compassion on you. (Isaiah 54:10)

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Scripture is quoted from the ESV^® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.