Nonograms, cryptograms, crosswords, sudoku… you name the puzzle and there’s a good chance I’ve tried it. I don’t let a Rubik’s Cube sit for too long on a coffee table without trying a few twists and turns (my genius nephew, Brian, is the Rubik’s king in our family).

Jigsaw puzzles pull me in for hours. Logic twisters make me smile. Riddles make my day. Even the frustration of a difficult puzzle only adds to its charm.

Would it surprise you to learn that the Bible includes some things designed to puzzle children?

When Israel passes through the Jordan River on dry ground, God tells Joshua to take stones from the center of the river, carry them to the western bank, and arrange them as a memorial. Notice what God says about this pile of stones:

And he said to the people of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.”

Joshua 4:21-24, ESV

God seems to delight in the idea of a random, conspicuous pile of stones catching the eye of passing children. In an almost mischievous way, He sets up a puzzle that will lead to a retelling of His greatness.

And this is not the only time! In Deuteronomy 6, He anticipates a day when an Israelite child will wonder why the family follows the commandments. The parents will then be able to recount the wonders of the Exodus and the gift of the Promised Land.

In Exodus 12, God tells them that the memorial meal of Passover will cause the children to ask why the family has gathered for this symbolic meal. The parents will then be able to talk about the blood on the doorposts, the last plague, and the freedom from Egypt. God’s marvels will thus be passed along:

One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.

Psalm 145:4, ESV

Children never seem to run out of questions and God wants to use that curiosity to point back to Him. I love that strategy!

It continues through scientific discovery today. Astronomers study the night sky and begin to realize that our galaxy is immense. Further along we discover whole galaxies beyond our own.

In all of these unraveling puzzles, God reveals Himself to be that much more amazing! He doesn’t give us all of the answers right away. He lets us puzzle, think, discover, and marvel. May we continue to seek after Him and declare His mighty acts when the next generation comes with questions.