| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “Living by faith” Our Bible verse for today: “Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up … And if someone overpowers one person, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not easily broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10; 12 (CSB) Our thought for today: “We need each other” In their great little devotional book “Finding God in the Lord of the Rings”, Kurt Bruner and Jim Ware remind us of the special friendship between the two hobbits Frodo Baggins and Sam Gamgee. Frodo is the main character in this part of the story and he is tasked with accomplishing what appears to be an impossible mission. Fortunately, in addition to his good friend and assistant Sam, Frodo has the assistance of Gandalf the Wizard, Strider the Ranger, and a host of dwarfs and elves. That’s why this volume of the series was named “The Fellowship of the Ring”, with an emphasis on “Fellowship”. J.R.R. Tolkien was a Christian and he wove Christian themes, concepts, and principles all throughout his fantasy stories. A crucial principle found in The Fellowship of the Ring is how much we need good trusted friends to make our journey with us. Christian friends and good church family are essential figures in our lives. We need trusted companions to make this journey through life with us. Sometimes we need a helping hand to support us, or an encouraging word to motivate us, or a warm heart to express love toward us, and sometimes we just need a shoulder to cry on. As Solomon so eloquently expressed it in Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 above, we need good companions. And we see that truth illustrated for us all throughout the Bible. Moses had his brother Aaron; King David had his friend Jonathan; Elijah had Elisha; Jesus had the apostles; and Paul had Barnabas, Timothy, Luke, and Silas. Do you have good Christian friends like that? Are you being that kind of friend to others? If we’re fortunate, we have not just one trusted companion but many. This is where a good church family comes in. However, to develop these kinds of friendships in a church you have to be active in the church – you have to participate in the regular gatherings and in the special events. That’s how you get to know people and grow close to them. And then, once you have those friendships, you have to put the time and effort into maintaining them. The truth is, we need each other. As Solomon noted, pity the one who doesn’t have someone to lift him up. Having friends like this is a key element to living by faith. God bless, Pastor Jim |
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