“A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NLT)
When you go on vacation, you probably ask a neighbor to look after your house while you’re gone. In fact, some communities even have neighborhood watch groups. But while your neighbors watch out for your home, who’s watching out for your soul?
Who in your life defends you, protects you, and helps you stay on track?
No matter who you are, you need people who will look out for you and warn you of spiritual traps. You’ll find those people in your church family. In fact, that’s what the family of God is all about.
Philippians 2:4 says, “Look out for one another's interests, not just for your own” (GNT).
We all have blind spots—areas of struggle and temptation in our lives that we can’t see. That’s where your church family comes in. They can stay vigilant, looking out for the enemy.
You have an enemy who wants to destroy your life. In fact, before you even wake up, Satan is thinking about how to defeat you every day with temptations and trials, dead ends and detours. He fights with an arsenal of hurts, habits, and hang-ups. And if you try to fight him on your own, that arsenal can leave you defeated. That’s why you need to find a community of believers who will help you.
Ecclesiastes 4:12 says, “A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken” (NLT).
Community—your church family—is God’s answer to spiritual defeat. We are always better together.
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick
Rick Warren is an innovative pastor, renowned author, and global influencer known for founding Saddleback Church, the Purpose Driven Network, the PEACE Plan, and Hope for Mental Health. He has written several best-selling books, including The Purpose Driven Life, which has sold over 35 million copies in 200 languages. Time magazine named Warren the most influential spiritual leader in America and one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Since stepping down from the lead pastor role at Saddleback in 2022, Warren has continued to inspire people through his Daily Hope Devotional and podcast Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope. His first book in a decade, Created to Dream, was released in April 2023.
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
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This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
You can listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.
