Are you a puzzle fan? I love puzzles—all kinds of puzzles! My Kindle Fire is always with me, loaded with word puzzles, hidden object games, sudoku, and more. Unfortunately, I spend way too much time on a screen! My sister-in-law has a puzzle table specifically for jigsaw puzzles, and I decided that was a perfect solution. It would allow my mind to focus on something without looking at a screen, and it is something my grandson could do with me. I ordered a puzzle table and a Noah's Ark puzzle so we could work on it and talk about the Bible as we put it together. 

Well, that sounded like a great plan, anyway. The puzzle table came, and it is beautiful! The puzzle came, and let's just say it is way more involved than what I expected. I knew it was 1,000 pieces, but I hadn't expected them to be so small! Needless to say, I will be looking for another puzzle for my (almost) 6-year-old grandson to do with me! For now, I decided to dig into this one on my own. 

A couple of things became evident right from the start: 

• Even though there are a LOT of pieces, together, they form one beautiful picture. That reminded me of the Bible. There are 66 different books written over a period of approximately 1500 years by around 40 different inspired individuals. And yet, the Bible comes together to reveal one incredible picture of a loving God and His plan of salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ.

• A puzzle is easier to put together if you find the end pieces and create the frame first. Each book of the Bible has a frame as well. One of the first things I like to do is research who wrote it, to whom it was written and for what purpose, when it was written, what the culture was like during that time, and so on. It helps me put the content in perspective. It provides a framework for how the people at that time would have received it. 

There have been some Ah-ha moments when I put several small groups of similar pieces together and then suddenly see how they all connect to create a larger piece of the puzzle. It is a great feeling to see progress, and it inspires me to keep going. The same is true when I study the Bible and dig into the cross-references. One of my favorites is Psalm 1:1-3, "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers." 

A cross-reference in the Bible leads you to other related passages of Scripture. They can relate a theme, a teaching, or another way Scripture is connected. The cross reference in Psalm 1:3 leads you to Jeremiah 17:8. After Jeremiah talks about the cursed man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, he references this Psalm. Jeremiah 17:7-8 says, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” 

Some people, like my husband, are not a fan of puzzles. They seem tedious and just frustrating instead of calming and challenging in a good way. Again, the Bible can be much the same for some. It used to be for me. If the thought of reading the Bible is intimidating or frustrating for you, Savor can help. We have an 8 lesson Bible 101 course that was created just for that purpose. We want to help you move from intimidation to an invitation to grow in God's Word. You can view a free introduction to the course right here, or find it on our home page or Freebies tab. You can find the course in our Store.