Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

– Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NIV)

Dust started filling the room as the jackhammer continued to recoil then repeatedly slam the concrete floor. The construction worker had to muster all his strength just to guide the heavy piece of equipment. The 40-year-old concrete floor could not withstand the assault from the jackhammer, and the floor quickly turned to rubble. The concrete rubble was soon cleared away, exposing a multistrand cable that had been placed within the concrete 40 years earlier to strengthen it and prevent it from cracking. The cable was still holding strong after all these years and even survived the relentless battering of the jackhammer.

The same could not be said about a second cable, just a short 18 inches away from the first; most of its strands had rusted through, turning to dust from decay and the pounding of the jackhammer. I don’t know what caused the second cable to deteriorate over all these years. But I do know whatever weakened it kept it from achieving its designed purpose.

As I stood there looking at the two cables my mind went to Ecclesiastes 4:12 (“A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”) This is a very well-known Biblical saying. In Israeli culture three is the number of completeness and stability. Commentators have also referenced this verse as representing the Holy Trinity; Faith, Hope and Charity of the Christian life; as well as the marriage bond between Jesus, husband and wife. The three-strand cord was the strongest and most often used during the time of Christ. The scripture writer was clearly making a point that when we stand as three we are exponentially stronger than standing on our own or even with one other person.

These days we live in a society where everyone wants individual independence, our circle of real friends is getting smaller, social media continues to replace true friendships, and many times we even try to avoid our neighbors. But people are made for interpersonal relationships and are much more resilient when supported by others. If we are to stay strong in the faith and fulfill God’s designed purpose for our lives, we must seek out deeper, more meaningful relationships with people of faith. By joining with Christ and other believers we can strengthen our cords and together withstand the jackhammering of life.

Thought for the Day: Whom in my life can I support and help strengthen?

Prayer: Dear Lord, bring strong believers into my life so together we can form a cord of three strands and fulfill our God-given purpose. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Prayer Focus: Building strong Christian relationships.

By The Orphan Carpenter (California, USA)

The post The Strength of the Strand appeared first on The Orphan Carpenter.

But Christ has bought us out from under the doom of that impossible system by taking the curse for our wrongdoing upon himself. For it is written in the Scripture, “Anyone who is hanged on a tree is cursed.

– Galatians 3:13 (TLB)

It had been one full year since the house had been renovated. Then, without warning, the monthly water bill doubled; it was an underground water leak. “How could this be?” the homeowner thought to himself. “We just had this house completely rebuilt. Surely this will be covered under the contractor’s warranty.” A large, black, pickup truck pulled up in front of the house. The door opened and out stepped a burly contractor with a calm but stern look on his face. As the contractor began his investigation into the source of the leak, the owner followed behind with nervous curiosity.

Suddenly, the contractor stood straight up and pulled his shoulders back, tilting his head slightly, as he began to explain the problem at hand. “Your leak is coming from under the new entry courtyard,” he explained. The renovation a year earlier had included running a new, underground water line from the house, connecting it to the 40-year-old main water line that ran to the city’s connection. “To locate and fix the leak I will have to demolish the entry courtyard and replace it, at a cost of $25,000,” the contractor continued. “If exposing the pipe shows the source of the leak to be the new pipe, then I will repair everything, under warranty, at no cost to you. But, if the leak is in the old pipe, you will have to pay me $25,000 for the additional work.” So, who would have to pay the price?

Man let sin into the world (Romans 5:12), and along with it came death. God provided the law in the Ten Commandments, but no one could live up to the law 100% of the time. The law became a curse on the people. Jesus took that curse for us and paid the ultimate price for our sins with his own life. Jesus paid our debt so that, through faith in him, we don’t have to worry about it.

So many times in life something goes wrong and we ask, “Whose fault is it? Who can we blame?” Surely the person at fault will have to pay the price. I am so thankful that this is not the case with our salvation. Jesus sacrificed his life to pay the price for our sins so we can relax in the assurance that the debt has been paid in full.

Thought for the Day: In light of how Jesus paid our debt, how do you think we should treat people who are indebted to us?

Prayer: Dear Lord, give me wisdom as I deal with others who are indebted to me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Prayer Focus: Forgiveness of debt.

By The Orphan Carpenter (California, USA)

The post Who Pays the Price? appeared first on The Orphan Carpenter.

For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

– Hebrews 11:10 (NIV)

It was 10:33am; my wife and I were enjoying our morning coffee and figuring out what we would be doing for the rest of the day. Along with most of the country, we were off work for the Independence Day holiday. Suddenly, there was a rumbling. The floor started vibrating, followed by the light fixtures swaying, and the leaves on the plants shaking. My wife jumped up and frantically proclaimed, “We are having an earthquake!”

As the house continued to shake, I looked up to the three-foot-deep by 30-foot-long beam holding up our entire roof. Just one year earlier, we had removed all the home’s previous load-bearing walls and installed the large beam to create an open-concept kitchen/living room area. I quickly called out to my wife to move out from under the massive beam and we both scurried to stand under a nearby door header. As the rumbling and shaking continued, we both started to feel nauseated from the movement. After about a minute the earthquake subsided and I began an investigation to see if the house had sustained any damage. To my relief the house was fine; when we installed the new beam the structural engineer had us upgrade all the home’s foundations to the newest California earthquake codes. We were safe because our home was on good foundations.

Hebrews 11:9-10 refers to Abraham, when he listened to God and moved to the Promised Land. Abraham lived in tents but was looking forward to the “City with Foundations.” This city with foundations, of course, is Heaven and the foundation is Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11). As a builder, I know how to erect many types of structures, which always include good, solid foundations. But even the foundations built by the best engineers and contractors will eventually deteriorate and fail. I am so thankful that the foundation that Jesus provides for us will hold strong for eternity.

When we look at our lives, with what are we building our foundations? Our accomplishments? Our possessions? Our retirement savings? Our personal relationships? All these things can be good and have their place and purpose, but none of them will stand for eternity. If we truly want a strong foundation, we will put our faith in Jesus Christ, and with his help build a foundation that will last for eternity.

Thought for the Day: What do I need to do to strengthen my eternal foundation?

Prayer: Dear Lord, please guide me and direct me in the construction of a solid foundation. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Prayer Focus: Strengthening my foundation.
By The Orphan Carpenter (California, USA)

The post The Foundation appeared first on The Orphan Carpenter.