It’s an old parable but still relevant. You’ve probably read about the pastor who was having a difficult time on a Saturday trying to prepare his sermon for the following day. He couldn’t concentrate because his young son kept pestering him because he had nothing to do that would interest him.

His dad thumbed through a magazine trying to get an idea to occupy his son for most of the morning. He found a map of the world, tore out the page, and cut the map into many small pieces, mixed them up and, placing all the pieces facing upwards on the floor, told his son that if he could get all the pieces together, he would give him 50 cents.

The son accepted the challenge. In a very short time the son had all the pieces together. He realized that on the other side it appeared to be a photo of a man, so he carefully turned all the pieces over and in not time had his “jig-saw” puzzle all put together. Placing a sheet of paper over the finished puzzle, he carefully turned it over and there was the map of the world!

“Son, how did you get this done so quickly?” his father asked.

“It was easy,” he replied, “on the other side was a man, I just put him together and turned the paper over, and the world got right.”

The minister smiled and handed his son the promised fifty cents and said, “And you’ve given me my sermon for tomorrow too. If a man is right [made whole], his world will be right.”²

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to live a life that is in harmony with Your will so that my world will also be right and harmonious. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’s name, amen.”

Note: For help to be sure you’re a real Christian go to: http://tinyurl.com/8glq9

1. John 5:6
2. Source: Encounter magazine (ACTS Int., Australia), June-July, 2007, p. 17.