FBC Morning Light (6/8/2024)

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 and the Value of Companionship

Good Saturday morning, people of faith. We're looking this weekend at Ecclesiastes chapters 4 through 9. And as we look at throughout the book of Ecclesiastes and have some wisdom from Solomon there, I'm just going to pick out two verses and give you two illustrations that show the truthfulness of those two verses, all right?

Verse 9 and verse 10 of chapter 4 says, Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion, but woe to him who is alone when he falls.

Back when I was 21 years old, I was working in a factory, paying my, trying to pay my way through college, it was towards the end of the summer. And the particular job that my friend and I were given was typically given to one person, but because it was later in the summer, that job got particularly hard to do and it was very helpful to have two people working that job.

Well one of the problems with that job was there was a malfunctioning piece of equipment. It was the piston on the O-ring for the grease gun was misfiring and they had taken the guard off of that machine and they had exposed that piece of equipment and I was looking at it and poking around with it with my finger and I poked my finger a little too close and that piston came down and chopped off the tip of my finger.

And I remember what went through my mind as I saw the tip of my finger gone, I didn't know what I was going to do, I just was figuring that I was just going to sit there and I thought I was going to die.

And I yelled to my friend, Brian, Brian, I just cut off the tip of my finger and he was laying down doing his job underneath this car putting grease into the axle and all this stuff and he got up and he looked at my finger and he ripped off his shirt, wrapped it around my finger and looked at me and goes, Mike, we're going to go to the office, we're going to call the ambulance and we're going to go to the hospital and you're going to.

Be fine.

And I just remember saying, oh, thanks, Brian.

Why is this?

Because two are better than one. For if the one falls, the other is there to lift him up and thankfully that day, my friend Brian was there to lift me up, right? Now let me give you another story. This other story happens to do with a someone I used to coach against in Scholastic Bowl way long time back, like we're talking over 20 years ago.

The Danger of Falling Alone

All right. And this this particular person was a very fierce competitor and to the point where sometimes that wrangled the feathers of his opposing coaches. And he worked at a high school and was working by himself one weekend and he slipped and fell in his room and hit his head.

And because he was working alone and he was kind of a loner, he was there by himself and he had no one to help him up. And they did not find him until Monday morning and he had passed. And it is certainly true, woe to him who is alone when he falls for he has no one to help him up.

Let's remember the truth of these words that it is certainly true to have a companion that is able to help you when you fall. But woe to you if you fall when you are alone, for there will be no one to help you up.

Let's pray. Lord, thank you for the truth of your word. May these words be a blessing to us and help us to walk with you together for your glory. It's in your son's name, Jesus, we pray. Amen. Have an excellent day.

People of faith.