by Jerry Ousley
3/11/2022 / Devotionals
When We Need Another
Ecclesiastes 4:12 – “Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
Hebrews 10:24-25 – “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Did you ever have one of those days? You know, when you go to bed with something weighing heavy on your mind and consequently don’t sleep very well. Then you get up and one of the cats has regurgitated in your favorite chair, the coffee maker stops working and the day is just starting off all around bad. I know you have. You just want to go back to bed but you can’t. You’ve got to go to work. You have to see about business and to close all the doors and windows and pretend no one is at home is out of the question.
For me this was today (or at least the day I’m actually writing this). We had gotten news the night before that the appraiser of our old house had required several things fixed before we could sell. We had already come down extensively on the price and now it was going to cost us even more. I was, to say the least, very frustrated. So, I rolled and tossed and turned in the bed most of the night trying to sleep but having it robbed from me by my own worry and anger. One of the cats woke me up after I finally had slipped into slumber-land and I could not go back to sleep. So, at 2:15 AM I was in the shower getting ready for the day. Once ready I began my daily morning chores and found that the cat that had awakened me had up-chucked in my office chair. Ok, calm down, son, get a hold of yourself and do what you need to do. After cleaning up the mess, I went on to make the coffee and wouldn’t you know it? This was the exact morning it decided to check out and so I got half my usual black-gold caffeine fix with double the potency.
That was when the love of my life came to my rescue. Now I know I’m the preacher. I’m the guy who tells everyone to keep hope, don’t give up, the Lord will see you through. I also know that the petty things I was experiencing paled in comparison to what other’s were facing this same morning. It’s just that this is what was happening to me. Aren’t we all a bit selfish sometimes when things go wrong? Poor me. Everyone should pay attention to me, and feel sorry for me. My loving, adoring wife assured me that God had it under control. She hugged me and comforted me (all the while she was going through it too).
After my tower of strength went to work (yeah, she had to go work while I stayed home) I managed to get an hour’s sleep and woke up refreshed and renewed. A positive disposition had replaced the one I had entertained of negativity. I met with the contractor and the repairs weren’t going to be as bad as my mind had magnified them. All would be okay. But I don’t think I could have pulled it off without the strength of my wonderful wife.
The two verses quoted have often been used in regards to church attendance, and I guess they could be applied that way. But the deeper, and more practical application of them simply means that we need each other and particularly that someone upon whom we can safely rely upon like our spouse. It also applies to friends, co-workers and all who you can trust to have your back and comfort you when you hurt. Those people are brothers and sisters in Christ who know you, not just sit a pew or two away and give you a friendly nod on Sunday morning.
We need Christian people in whom we have confidence. We may go to church with them and they may be part of our household. They might be neighbors, or good friends from work or school. Whoever they are they most certainly are those who we can trust no matter what comes. When these bind together, they most certainly become a chord not so easily broken. When these assemble, they can instruct, sympathize, comfort and encourage each other.
There are times I am there for my wife and there are times she is there for me. I know that as the minister I’m supposed to be the strong one. I’m supposed to be the one who has it all together. I’m supposed to be the encourager. But I’m also human and there are times that I have to have the strength, courage and comfort from her. And so it is with all of us. We do need each other. We must have those we can trust. If not, God wouldn’t have had the Biblical writers say it, don’t you think?
. . . Praise the Lord . . .
Jerry D. Ousley is the author of ïSoul Challengeï, ïSoul Journeyï, ïOrdealï, ïThe Spirit Bread Daily Devotional and his first novel ïThe Shoe Tree.ï Visit our website at spiritbread.com to download these and more completely free of charge.
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