Monday, November 3, 2025

New Testament Reading Plan: Revelation 17

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 
Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. ... A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer…

There’s a part of me that still believes I have to handle things on my own. Maybe it’s because for so many years, I did. When life got hard, my default was to double down. I put my head down, pushed through, and kept it all to myself. It felt safer that way. No one could disappoint me or misunderstand me if I just carried it alone. But somewhere along the way, that independence became isolation. And isolation is a heavy place to live.

God never intended for us to walk through life that way. Ecclesiastes 4 reminds us that “two are better than one.” Friendship is more than just companionship. It is a divine design. It’s God’s way of helping us see what we can’t see, feel what we’ve forgotten, and believe what we’ve stopped believing. True friends hold us up when our strength gives out, speak truth when lies feel louder, and remind us that we’re not fighting alone.

I can think of moments when my Christian friends saw the exhaustion I tried to hide behind a smile. They didn’t try to fix me or tell me to “just have faith.” They showed up. They listened. They prayed. And in their presence, I felt the presence of God. It reminds me that love isn’t meant to stay locked inside our own walls.

When we let people in, we let God’s love move through them. It takes humility to admit we need others. It takes courage to be seen. But that’s where strength is found. We have a triple-braided cord of community, friendship, and faith. 

Alone, we can survive for a while. Together, we can conquer.

Don’t do life alone. Reach out to someone. Ask for prayer. Check on a friend who’s been quiet. The gift of friendship isn’t just about having someone by your side. This gift is about becoming the kind of friend who helps others stand strong each time they fall. Because together, we’re better. Together, we reflect the heart of God to all around us, especially those who are just getting to know him.

Questions: 
When life feels heavy, do you tend to reach out for help or pull away and handle things on your own? Why do you think that is?

Who in your life helps you see what you can’t see - someone who speaks truth and reminds you of God’s promises when you forget them?

What might it look like for you to be that kind of friend to someone else this week?

Next Steps: 
As we approach the holiday season, a time that can magnify both joy and loneliness, take a moment to reach out to one person who might be struggling. Send a text, write a card, drop off coffee, invite them to attend your Group, or simply check in. Remind them they’re not alone and that they matter. Small gestures can carry eternal weight when offered with genuine love.

Prayer: 
Father, thank you for creating us to live in connection with you and with others. Forgive me for the times I’ve tried to handle life alone. Teach me to see friendship the way you designed it: as a source of strength, truth, and grace.

Help me notice those who are hurting around me, especially as the holidays draw near. Give me courage to reach out, to listen, and to love without expectation. And when I feel weak, surround me with people who remind me of your faithfulness.

Thank you for the gift of friendship and the reminder that a cord of three strands - you, me, and others - is not easily broken. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Series Theme Verse:
Romans 1:20
For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

This post was written by Monique Myers, a Perrysburg attendee and regular contributor to the Daily LivingItOut.