The Power of Two

In Ecclesiastes 4, Solomon writes,

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,

for he has no one to help him up.

Again, if two lie down together,

they will keep warm;

but how can one be warm alone?

Though one may be overpowered by another,

two can withstand him.

A threefold cord is not quickly broken.

I have long believed that the enemy attacks marriages because he knows the power of two.

Two have a good reward for their labor.

Two can lift each other up.

Two can keep warm together.

Two can withstand the enemy.

You put God in the center of that marriage, and you’ve got a threefold cord—the kind that ties down massive ships or anchors airplanes. Solid. Sturdy. Strong. 

My favorite part of Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 is the verse that if one falls, the other is there to lift him up. What a beautiful picture. I can look back at seasons of my life where Howell has stood in the gap for me spiritually, and I thank God I didn’t have to fall by myself or stay down with no one to lift me up and point me back to Jesus.

The enemy is no dummy. He knows how powerful a couple can be in His kingdom, which is why he works so hard to destroy our marriages.

So this is what’s on my heart, married friends:

1. Be grateful for two. You’re not alone. God has given you a partner in life—and if, for whatever reason, there’s a tear in your rope, do all that’s in your power to mend it. You need each other. God designed us this way. Your spouse is a gift. So if you feel alone, if you’re feel like you’re doing it all by yourself, ask God to change your hearts and to restore the relationship so that you can work together.

2. Protect the cord. Whether we’re talking about a big expense or a parenting decision, you've got to be on the same page. Don’t let something or someone wedge itself between you and your spouse. Be a team. The enemy wants to divide. Don’t give him the victory in your marriage—whether it’s a small skirmish or a giant battle. Pray for God to give you a unified heart and vision because you’re stronger together.

3. Fight the enemy. The beauty of two is they can withstand the enemy. One alone may be overpowered, but not two. Be proactive in spiritual warfare. Pray over your husband or wife on a daily basis. It’s hard to have unforgiveness or bitterness in your heart when you’re lifting your spouse up in prayer. We need to be aware and alert to guard our marriages by being actively engaged in resisting the enemy. He only has the authority we give over to him. Ours is the victory.

I pray you’ll be encouraged to appreciate the value of two—and if you’re struggling to see that value, reach out to someone and be honest. Don’t stay in the dark. Seek wise counsel. The enemy wants to keep us silent about marriage struggles, but sometimes you have to verbalize them to bring about freedom. Decide today that you’ll fight for your marriage.

In Plain Sight

I like to think I’m the sort of person who pays attention to small details. If a frame in my house is moved ever so slightly, I will notice it—and adjust it.

But last week, I realized I’m not as observant as I imagine. I take the same route to work and home every day. It’s about a five-minute drive, and I do it four times every day—morning to work, home for lunch, back to work, and home at night.

So every day I pass the same buildings, signs, streets. One of those days, I needed to stop by the ATM to get some cash on my way home from work.

No big deal, right?

I pulled into the turning lane, turned left, and was about to turn into the parking lot of my bank before I realized THE BUILDING WAS GONE. Completely leveled.

When I got home, I asked Howell about it, and he said they’d done that three days ago. THREE DAYS!? I’d driven by this piece of property a dozen times without realizing it was no longer there.

A couple weeks ago, I had the privilege of hearing Stasi Eldredge speak at our church’s Life Giving Saturday. She talked about spiritual warfare and the enemy we face, who seeks to devour us.

In John 10:10, Jesus says “The enemy has come to steal, kill, and destroy, but I came that you might have life abundantly.”

Jesus wants us to have an abundant, full life—but that LIFE is going to be opposed! Sometimes, she said, we get so down on ourselves, believing lies, or we get down because of circumstances without even realizing we’re being opposed by the enemy.

We just accept it as normal, everyday life instead of walking with our armor on, instead of walking in freedom.

The Lord reminded me of that as I laughed at myself for days over the demolished building I’d missed. While I can be so attentive to details sometimes, I can also be blind to the schemes of the enemy.

And it’s usually when I’m not paying attention—when life gets busy or relationships get hard or I get run down—that I forget to battle.

I start believing lies instead of speaking truth. Lies about myself—that I’m not enough or don’t measure up. Or lies about my Heavenly Dad—that He’s not really good or He’s holding out on me.

But the Lord has called us to stand firm and to fight the good fight of faith. Every day. Every hour. Every moment.

How about you, my friends?

Jesus already has our victory. We are more than overcomers! Let’s get our armor on.

When the Enemy Dive Bombs You

Tis the season for nests and baby birds. We love to sit and watch our Barn Swallows from the front porch. Every morning, the babies sing us a song from their nest.

In our backyard, the birds’ nests usually don’t have as much success. Although the massive pecan trees look protective, when the wind blows, they inevitably knock nests to the ground—a sight that always breaks my heart.

This year, one momma did good, and her nest is not budging, even with all the storms we’ve had this summer.

She’s also fiercely protective of that nest, and I suppose, rightly so.

Every time Rizzoli, our Weimaraner, goes outside, she dive bombs her the second she walk out the door. What cracks me up, though, is that Rizzo completely ignores this momma bird that is about three inches from breaking skin on her head with its beak.

Our girl prances through the backyard, smelling for pecans or rabbits—completely unaware of the fiery darts nearing her head.

The other day, as Howell and I were laughing at this scene that we’ve seen repeatedly for weeks now, the Lord reminded me of Ephesians 6, where it talks about standing firm, wearing armor, being prepared for the fiery darts of the enemy.

The enemy wants to mess with us all the time, and most of the time, we get rattled when we see his darts thrown at us.

The Lord gave me the scene with Rizzoli as the perfect picture of what mature Christians should do. We’re not bothered by the enemy. We know he’s not actually going to get us. He might swoop close and make loud noises to distract us, but he can’t really do anything—so we just go about our business.

She’s a picture of someone walking in the authority of God.

So, stand firm, my friends. Put on the whole armor because we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood. But be bold and courageous because we know the enemy is already defeated. He has no power whatsoever to harm us, even if he tries.

The only power he has is what we give him.

Take the tip from Rizzoli. Enjoy life, stay on mission, and prance around your territory like you own the place—because all authority under heaven and on earth has been given to us through Jesus.

We are victorious!