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Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 - Sharing, for strength
Scripture:
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
9 Two are better than one because they have a good return for their
labor.
10 For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But
woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.
11 Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can
one be warm alone?
12 And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A
cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.
NASU
Thoughts:
These verses are often applied to the marriage relationship,
particularly because of verse 11, but they have a broader application.
There is a universal truth here, which is that in the right company, we
are stronger.
I thank God that as an adopted child of His, I am never truly alone.
Sometimes I may feel that way, but it is not true. He is always with
me.
I thank Him further for the strength that can be found in Christian
fellowship. This is most clearly applied to dealing with temptation,
the bane of every Christian. The accountability and strength of two in
the Lord together against temptation may not be measurable, but it is
real!
Matthew 18:20
20 "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am
there in their midst."
NASU
Particularly when we are open about the battles raging inside, we tap
into this strength. In a brother in the Lord for a man, or a sister
for a woman, revealing our struggles we find the opposite of what we
tend to fear. Instead of an accuser we gain an ally; rather than a
judge, an advocate.
Prayer:
Oh the wonder of togetherness in Christ! The dynamic that is unleashed
as Christians are open with one another.
Help me to take the lead in my circle of relationships. To be open
about my own struggles and therefore to receive the added strength of
the believers' around me. To be a part of God's ministry to them as
well, as we bear each other's burdens.
Amen
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