Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 KJV

As a child of the 70’s, I witnessed the rise and fall of disco. I frequented the local roller rink three times a week because I wasn’t old enough (nor was I interested) in dancing at the local discos. And yes, I had my favorite groups.

One group in particular provided the soundtrack for that short era. And thanks to Youtube, I have been able to rekindle my appreciation for that trio.  Their brotherly harmonies at times made it seem as only one voice was singing. I now use their upbeat songs to get my daily steps in. It’s also interesting to note that paramedics and EMT’s use the cadence of one of their songs to teach and perform CPR. If the victims can hear they may think the person doing the chest compressions is encouraging them to “stay alive.”

Oh, and their love songs are “swoon worthy.”  The lyrics have caused many a teenage girl to dream of her Prince Charming.  We ladies of a more mature age may be transformed back to a more innocent time or the day we fell in love with our husbands.

But as I have allowed myself to flash back to my youth, the mature lady in the mirror has brought something to my attention.  As sweet as those lyrics of love and devotion are, there is a void—a missing “chord” if you will. 

God never intended for our relationship with our spouses to be just between two humans.  His desire is to be in the middle. Two cords are great but with the third cord we are assured that the other cords won’t be broken. 

Marriage takes work. It takes more than the commitment that these love songs profess.  And as I listen closely to the lyrics, there is a desperation and fear that the relationship may not work out. Marriage takes a dependence on God not a pleading that the other person will never leave. 

Genesis 2:21-24 is God’s blueprint for marriage. King James Version uses the word “cleave” which means adhere firmly. Basically “glued together”. English Standard Version uses the word “hold fast” as in don’t let go no matter what. Disclaimer—I am not encouraging anyone in an abusive situation to stay.

My husband and I married late in life. I was 39 and he was 40. This May will be 19 years. In those years we have faced Illness, job loss, death of parents, and everyday hard stuff. 

A few years ago, we bought a new home. We were warned that our marriage would be stressed because buying a home is supposed to be stressful. We took that as a challenge. What we learned through the years is that hardships that could have pulled us apart served as means to draw us closer. 

During the time of getting our new home, we dealt with delays and broken promises from the company building our home. It was frustrating and we complained some. But we knew God would work all this out. We were teammates. 

Ladies, I have some questions for you. First of all, do you have a relationship with God? Is God the third cord in your marriage? Are you and your husband on the same team? Are you holding fast to each other in the hard times as well as good? If no, take a look at the prayer below:

Heavenly Father, I long to have a relationship with You.  I ask You to forgive me of my sin and become the Third Cord in my marriage. Help me to be supportive of my husband. Help us to hold fast to You and each other. Amen