PHILEMON 4-7 – “I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ. For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.”

ECCLESIASTES 4:9-13 – “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!  Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken. Better was a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how to take advice.”

THEME OF THE DAY: WE NEED FELLOW CHRISTIANS.   What are some of the shared truths found in the two scriptures references of the day?  I may name a few. There is the mutual care of believers. We also may see mutual responsibility for one another.  Still yet another lesson is the encouragement received among believers.  A third commonality between the Old and New Testament passages is our focus today. It is our need for one another as we live the Christian life.

In the world of literal sheep, there is an interesting truth about them. They are comfortable in a herd. They just love to be with other sheep. However, there is an exception. When sheep are sick, they isolate themselves from other sheep. They become loners, and if the shepherd doesn’t recognize this, these ill sheep become easy prey for predators.  The spiritual application is clear and should cause us to stop and think.  Christians who are spiritually healthy are sheep in the Lord’s pasture who love to be with other sheep. They won’t miss opportunities to gather unless it’s an emergency or providentially hindered.  But Christians who are sick, will isolate themselves from other Christians, and their desire for their company significantly weakens. They will miss times of being together without remorse or regret, and they become easy prey for the devil (1 Peter 5:8).

Today’s scriptures show us why we need each other.  It is for encouragement, acts of love, to bring spiritual refreshment to our often-weary hearts, and here is the big one – our need for one another to keep our zeal for Christ aflame.

In the Ecclesiastes passage, Solomon uses the illustrations of mutual warmth – “Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone?”  The spiritual application is this; keep company, close company, with those closest to Christ, and most zealous for Christ for their spiritually warm hearts will influence ours.  Such companions exude a love and commitment to Christ that is infectious.  And the more we fellowship with those believers the fullest of Christ, the more we experience the same type of affection and warm zeal for the Lord Jesus.  Warm hearts produce warm hearts.

Christian fellowship is not something nice to practice or optional.  We need each other, and it is a need coupled with desire that gives forth the mutual encouragement we need to run the race and finish well the Christian life.

PRAYER:  Father, thank You for the gift of other Christians who help me travel this hard journey to heaven.

REFLECTION:  Christians not only need other Christians but want to desperately to be with other Christians.