Bible Verse of the Day Monday November 7th, 2022

Ecclesiastes 4:12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

As we dig deeper into the writings of King Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes, differentiating pictures rise out of their pages. We learn how common human knowledge should be functional with heavenly insights from God's point of view. We find our great expectation of everlasting God as the direct opposite of humanity's overwhelming misery in this fallen world framework.

We learn about the accomplishment of humanity's carnal achievements and the vacancy and torment that saturates each part of life when people reject God. We find that the constant rhythmic movement of human action puts every person in the iron-hold clamp of death to the exclusion of no one. However, when the assessment is complete, we find humanity should only fear God and keep His precepts.

Beginning in verse 10, Solomon talks about two people being better than one; then, when the one falls, the other will pick them up. Then, in verse 11, he speaks of one keeping the other warm while sleeping. In our text verse today, he builds on that thought with the idea that if one falls, the other can come to his defense. Then adding that a rope with three strands is sturdier, meaning that if two are better than one, then three are much better than two.

Some people prefer to live in isolation; some move to remote parts of the world to accomplish that remoteness and seclusion. However, God did not create humans to be alone; He did not create us to be an island unto ourselves. We are put here on this earth as part of a community in Christ Jesus; that is what the church is. The church is all brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus working together for the good of the entire body and that body in Christ Jesus reaching out to the world around them, spreading the gospel's good news. This loving act of God came about so that God's wishes may come to be, that all will come to the saving grace of Christ Jesus and that none would perish (2 Peter 3:9; 1 Timothy 2:4).

For three strands of rope to make a cord less easily broken, the individual strands must be woven together and entwined correctly and adequately. The third strand in the rope must be our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus. He must be intertwined in our lives so that when Satan comes after us with His lies and allusions, we can draw on the most powerful force known in the universe, the power of the Holy Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit not only leads, guides, and directs our every step, He leads us into the most powerful weapon known to humankind, the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17).