STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
Ecclesiastes 4:9–12
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 him who is alone when he falls and doesn't have another to lift him up! 11 Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? 12 And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
I have always enjoyed archery. I love the curves and contours of a recurve bow and the simple flowing lines of a long bow. As a child I remember having bent a piece of wood and tied a simple kite string to it and I was able to lob a slightly bent homemade arrow a short way. But soon those string would break as the single strand just couldn't withstand the stress of stretching over and over again.
After a while I learned that I could use two pieces of string and it was last longer. Then I would use stringer wood and the strings would break quicker. Soon I learned that if I used 3 pieces of string and twisted them together they could withstand a lot of more stress and pressure.
I recently toured the Mathews Archery plant in Sparta, Wisconsin and stopped and looked in the room where several people were working on building bow strings. I was amazed at the colors and looks of strings being made. I watched as dozens of individual strangers were wound together in the process. It took so many tiny strands to get to what it took to hold up to pressure of today's compound and cross bows.
So it is with people, if we surround ourselves with other like minded people we can stand up to so much more than we can withstand on our own. When those people bring characteristics that strengthen us and make us stronger we become a greater force in our world. This is true in business, ministry, athletics and any other aspect of life. God puts others in your circle of friends and acquaintances, your "family", that have strengths where we have weaknesses. It's like the bow strings maker that picks and chooses his materials and strands to better strengthen the bow string and make it resilient. When the right combination of materials comes together amazing things can happen.
A different way to envision this is to consider a wood fire. Sometime when you are sitting around a camp fire take note of the glowing coals under the flames. If one of those chunks of embers rolls out from the fire it will soon quit glowing and go out. However if It remains alongside the other hot coals it will remain red and extremely hot for hours. This is so similar to our lives.
Hebrews 10:24–25 tells us clearly we are to surround ourselves with others that will help get the best out of us
"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24-25)
As I read those verses, I see in my mind those string makers adding thread and twisting many together. So surround yourself with those that build you, those that strengthen you. Hold each other up and keep each other moving forward with power. Don't allow even one ember to burn out. As the verse above says, we need to be, "encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."
We're living in hard times. Our time on earth is short and Satan doesn't want us growing and strengthening. He wants us torn apart and alone, because he knows that by ourselves we lack strength and power. Don't allow him to win. Bind yourself to those that make you stronger.
Remember there is strength in numbers. And when those numbers are built around God, there is no power on earth that can destroy them.
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