MAY 4

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Memorise Hebrews 10:25
“It is not good that the man should be alone…”

And so Solomon’s advice to all is that it is better to invest in friendship and companionship, for two is better than one. From the very beginning God told man that it is “not good that the man should be alone” (Genesis 2:18). One would be able to enjoy the fruits of his labour much better in the company of friends and family than if one is all alone. And when one falls, he has people around to help him up, to support him and to encourage him. If others around him are envious of him and say or do malicious things to hurt him, his friends can support him and uphold him. The illustration given is that warmth is retained better when two lie together, but alone, this warmth is quickly dissipated. Therefore Solomon advises that two is better than one; and a three-fold cord, where each strand is intertwined one with another is a relationship that is not easily broken. Such tight bonds can only be found in godly Christian fellowship where three or more believers who are bound together in the bonds of Christ would indeed be a strong force to be reckoned with. If they were to stand together, the wiles of the devil, temptation, discouragement and other things that would tear a person down would not easily affect them.

Do note that this ‘threefold cord’ does not refer to a two-person relationship with God in it. The context does not suggest such an interpretation, though a strong bond of fellowship would certainly have to include God. Neither does the phrase ‘two are better than one’ refer specifically only to marital relationships, although such an application can be made.

From this, we can draw the application of the importance of fellowship in a believer’s life. God has given us friends and family, and a whole church of brothers and sisters-in-Christ whom we can rely on for strength and support. No man is an island, and no man can hope to complete the Christian race well without the help of others. You may be shy and you may feel that you have no friends in church. That is when we must take the proactive step to go out, to be friendly to others, and encourage them, rather than wait for them to encourage us! We should learn to take the first step, to be the one to lift up another.

Thought: Have I ever truly enjoyed the blessings of Christian fellowship?
Prayer: Lord, help me to encourage and be encouraged by my Christian brothers and sisters.