The Upper Room Devotion for Wednesday, June 19, 2024, was written by Jim Harris of Virginia.
Scripture
9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help. 11 Again, if two lie together, they keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone? 12 And though one might prevail against another, two will withstand one. A threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 NRSV
Author's Thoughts
While I was in the US Navy our ship's engine urgently needed a replacement part. Another ship was sent with the needed part, but the seas were too rough to launch a boat to bring us the part or for the other ship to come close alongside us. So a pulley was rigged between the two ships, and we were able to retrieve the part and get underway.
As I watched this event unfold. I was amazed at how the large rope being used was pulled tight from time to time as the waves forced the ships farther apart. The rope seemed to transition from hefty to thin and back again. I was concerned that it might snap, and the needed part would be lost. Later I saw that it was a triple-braided rope. Those three intertwined strands gave the rope its strength and prevented it from breaking.
I have learned that having Jesus as the third cord in my relationships can strengthen them and keep them from breaking. As I reflect on my life, I see that the broken relationships I experienced were largely due to my not fully including Jesus in my choices and decisions. When we welcome Christ into our relationships, he will strengthen those relationships with love and grace.
Author's Prayer
Triune God, help us to include you in all our relationships so that they may be strengthened. Amen.
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