“A cord of three strands is not easily broken.”
Ecclesiastiastics 4:12
My maternal grandmother was “high-strung,” we called it. She was tiny in stature, very attuned to what was going on, and keenly aware of the Bible’s guidelines for living. She was often “wringing her hands” as she observed daily activities of her family. I can’t say that I hoped to be like her some day, but I am grateful for her influence of always having her Bible open on the kitchen table, and her commitment to reading passages throughout her day.
The Wisdom woven throughout the Book of Ecclesiastics is worthy of pondering . . . nugget by nugget. Practical, Godly Wisdom is as true in our daily lives now as it was in ancient times. People walk through Life now, encountering its complex realities with the same questions, longings and needs for Purpose as has always been part of our humanity.
Our greatest quandary is often our personal desire for a clear sense of Purpose. Our world
screams to us with a flood of options available . . . both good and bad. We “walk a tightrope of choices” each day, with lots of voices advising us of what we should choose.
The writer of Ecclesiastics gives us a practical word picture to help us “untangle” this quandary. A good rope is not a single strand of fiber. There is not enough strength in one strand. It could snap, and whatever it was holding would quickly succumb to gravity and its own weight and immediately fall to the ground. A rope of two strands is better, but still quite at risk of soon snapping if the only other strand breaks. I recently read an article of a discovery unearthed dating back to “neandrathol” times of a rope that clearly had three distinct cords of wooden fibers wound together and still identifiable.
A cord of three strands has a far better chance of holding the weight of its task and completing it. Sharing the weight between three cords woven together has far more strength and longevity as the three share the pressure equally.
Our human nature . . . and pride . . . leans toward “doing it myself.” That is more of a child-like
approach. “No! I do myself!” is something most mothers encounter with their little ones. We
may give them the chance to “do it myself” . . . but often need to step in to rescue the situation.
God knows that part of our nature. He knows how quickly a single strand can snap. He knows that two strands together adds a better chance of succeeding in the task at hand.
And He Himself works with the number “3.” The God-head . . . 3-in-One . . . is the Model He set for us, and offers us as we walk through this earthly life. Three-in-One. Trinity. And He has made it possible for us to hold on to Him . . . daily, and throughout our time on earth. He has also put additional Believers in our lives to walk this Path together.
When life seems to be falling apart . . . all tangled up . . . you’re at the “end of your rope” . . .
Look Up! Grab on! Hold tightly to the hand of a fellow-Believer, and , most of all, to the scarred Hand that Holds You in His Palm . . . and continue on the Journey together.
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