Stronger Together
ICS Daily Devotions
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (NKJV) Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Do you know that God does not intend for any of us to face life’s challenges alone? He has placed us within the community of believers in a church to love and be loved. God has also placed the Holy Spirit in us, who is our Helper, Comforter and Counsellor. The Holy Spirit, who is love, will prompt us to do something for our friends, and we should yield to His prompting.
This passage of the Bible addresses loneliness, the challenges of facing life alone, and how to overcome it. It says, “But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up.” Besides marriage, this also relates to friendship and religious communion. If the marriage is established on a covenant, the two who become one flesh will be strengthened and encouraged to stand in faith. In a covenant marriage, the time to stand with our spouse is when they face challenges. We will use all our available resources to ensure that they are lifted because that is what God does when we are in trouble. Therefore, nothing will break us if we see our marriage as a threefold cord, with the help of the community and God’s presence in our lives.
The time to truly lift each other up is when faith is required to overcome obstacles and life’s challenges, just as the four friends of the paralysed man in Luke 5:17-26 did. We must not isolate ourselves when we face an issue in life, but share it with our spouse so that we can join our faith to battle the situation. We must also be part of the Christian family so that we can be even stronger in the face of the storms in our lives. We are confident that God will see us through, and we will not be shaken or broken.
Living the lifestyle of faith can be very challenging when we are walking alone. Therefore, it is critical that we have a group of people to journey with us and spur us on when our faith is weak.
Reflection: When facing difficulties, do you usually isolate yourself or allow others to support you? Who can you encourage and lift up today through prayer, practical help, and faith in God?
Sermon Series: 2026 CG Campaign – Up! (Part 4)
