John 2:1-11, James 3:1-12, Ecclesiastes 4, Jeremiah 12-13

Recall:

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
It's better to have a partner than go it alone. Share the work, share the wealth. And if one falls down, the other helps, But if there's no one to help, tough! Two in a bed warm each other. Alone, you shiver all night. By yourself you're unprotected. With a friend you can face the worst. Can you round up a third? A three-stranded rope isn't easily snapped.

Jeremiah 12:5
"So, Jeremiah, if you're worn out with this footrace with men, what makes you think you can race against horses?"

Reflect:
Two ideas jumped out at me in these passages. First, the necessity of partnerships, of operating in community. The wisdom of the teacher resonates 4,000 years later. We each need the encouragement and cooperation of the other. Of course, that is the idea of the church.

And I wanna run with the horses! Jeremiah was complaining. God, ever the task-master in her/his desire to see us become everything we were created to be, says "Whoa buddy, if you can't even handle this what's going to happen when the going really gets tough?!" Love it.

Respond:
Awesome God, unrelenting in your desire to see me shine with your radiance, never let me off the hook. What is there to do but become a conduit of your love and light an power to my family, my church, and my community?

I need to continue to orient my life toward my Creator--through engaging scripture, through meditation, through my actions. I need to be prepared to run with the horses.

And I need to bring people with me. Investing my time and my life into others, partnering with people in ministry.