by Victoria Heinecke

Feeling God’s presence in the moment.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

Two’s company, three’s a crowd… or so the saying goes. A couple enjoys a quiet evening at home, when their cat jumps on to the sofa near them. Claws retracted, he gently touches his paw on their intertwined fingers, and it is so gentle it can barely be felt. It’s not the first time he’s done this; he’s seen them holding hands often enough to think it appropriate to join in.

Cats will place a paw on a person for several reasons. It may want food, and will sometimes tap a person several times, tentatively. Sometimes the touch is a precursor to a nuzzle from their face. The soft fur and gentleness can be soothing.

“Two are better than one,
    because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down,
    one can help the other up.…
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10a,12 New International Version

Where this passage begins with a reference to two persons, it continues with “a cord of three strands.” The third strand is God.

While this is a popular verse for a Christian marriage, our closest relationships also have that third strand, the gentle touch of God assuring us that he is in our midst at all times. There’s a special connection in a three-strand relationship that looks past shortcomings and holds one another up with the assurance that we are never in this world alone.

God designed us to be social beings. He declared in the beginning that it is not good for anyone to be alone (Gen 2:18). He gives us relationships in our marriages, our families and friendships. He leads us to communities where we can be his hands and feet, and he gives us a church home where we find encouragement, comfort and support. May God be glorified in our comings and our goings, every day!

“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
Matthew 18:20 New International Version

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Photo copyright Karen Johnston. Used with permission.