Read Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 in your personal Bible or at the link provided.
Review
1. What advantages do people bring?
2. How was someone who was isolated in danger?
3. What modern-day dangers exist for those isolated?
Reflect
God designed everyone to be in community, but deep and meaningful relationships have been difficult to find and maintain since the fall. People can hurt one another, but they also have a tremendous ability to help each other. Solomon, the author of Ecclesiastes and the wisest man in Israel, warned about the dangers of remaining isolated – dangers that still exist today.
A lack of meaningful, close relationships will have negative effects on our mental and emotional well-being. We were made to have others around us, people to journey through challenges with us, to provide us with new perspectives, and to care for us when we fall. We need friends, peers, and mentors we can be honest with about our struggles.
Do you have this kind of community? Part of the healing that Jesus came to bring includes restored connections, both with God and with others, because He knows we’re more vulnerable when we’re on our own. But even if you find yourself in a lonely season, you can take comfort in knowing that God is always with you.
Respond
Think about your closest relationships. Do you have trusted people you can be honest with, rely on, and ask for help from? Have you been honest with them recently, and why or why not? Spend some time in prayer thanking God for His constant presence with you, and ask Him to help you invest in relationships.