January 2, 2026 • 15 mins
Connect with God — on Abide, a Christian meditation app that provides a biblically grounded place to experience peace and progress in your relationship with Christ. Use this biblical meditation, narrated by Bonnie Curry, to center yourself on the truth in God's word. Are your relationships stronger than a three-stranded cord? Meditate on Ecclesiastes 4:12. Allow the music & nature sounds, deep breathing, prayer, and scripture help you connect with God in a new way.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Welcome to Abides Daily Christian Meditations. I'm Tyler Boss. Today's
meditation is brought to you by our partners at Life Audio.
If you go to lifeaudio dot com you will find
dozens of other faith centered podcasts in their network. They've
got shows about prayer, Bible study, parenting, and more. Head
over to lifeaudio dot com now, and remember you can
(00:57):
have full access to our meditations commercial free. Just text
abide to two two four three three for twenty five
percent off. Now receive his piece as we meditate and
abide in Christ.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Welcome to this Abide Meditation. I'm Bonnie Curry. How would
you describe your relationships those with your friends, your family members?
Are they merely convenient, perhaps even superficial, or are they
(01:32):
growing in strength and depth? Take a deep, relaxing breath
as you prepare to meditate on God's love. Strong relationships
are a fabric of life. That's how God designed it.
(01:56):
God doesn't want us flying solo through life storms. Instead,
God wants us to build up one another and to
encourage one another. He wants our relationships to be grounded
in Him and to grow stronger day by day. This
(02:18):
is how the writer of Ecclesiastes four to twelve. Put it,
and though a man might prevail against one who is alone,
two will withstand him. A threefold cord is not quickly broken.
(02:39):
Let's think about that. A one stranded rope is weak
and is limited in its use. But when that single
strand is woven together with other strands, it becomes immeasurably stronger.
The same is true in life. Relationships bring joy, laughter, encouragement,
(03:03):
and security. How can you strengthen your relationships this week?
Relationships are a hallmark of scripture. Ruth and Naomi, Jonathan
and David, Paul and Timothy, Jesus and his disciples. Life
(03:29):
can be challenging, but God provided a way to make
it easier. He gave us his peace and love. He
also gave us friends and family. Let's pray, Father, thank
you for your love, thank you for your joy and peace.
(03:54):
I want to have relationships that will encourage me in
my spiritual walk, and I want to be used by
you to encourage others. I want a relationship that is strong,
like a triple braided chord. Grant me wisdom to know
how to deepen the relationships. I have place new friends
(04:19):
in my life. Thank you for always being my perfect friend.
In Jesus' name. Amen, take another deep, relaxing breath, inhaling
through your nose. Hold it there for a moment. Now
(04:43):
exhale through your mouth. Hand all your troubles to God.
Focus only on his perfect peace. Take a few moments
(05:03):
now to search your heart. What do you need to
confess to God? Whatever it is, God's arms are open wide,
ready to forgive. He never gives up on you. Confess
your sin to him now. Our desire for relationships is
(05:39):
grounded in the triune God of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
From eternity past, God has been in community. It's mysterious,
but it's a picture of God's plan for us. Listen now,
as I read from Ecclesiastes four, verse twelve from the
(06:01):
New International Version, though one may be overpowered, two can
defend themselves. A chord of three strands is not quickly broken.
As I read that again, listen for a specific word
or phrase. Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.
(06:28):
A chord of three strands is not quickly broken. What
stood out? Meditate on God's word for the next few moments.
(07:11):
Many Bible commentators believe the third chord in this three
chorded strand represents God, the most essential element in any relationship.
Without God and the fruit of the Spirit, the love,
the patience, and the kindness that is modeled perfectly by Christ,
(07:33):
a relationship can easily crumb. How many relationships in your
life are grounded in Christ? Pray for more Christian friends
in your circle. Listen now as I read Ecclesiastes four
(08:18):
to twelve in the New Living Translation. These words were
written thousands of years ago for you. A person standing
alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand
back to back and conquer. Three are even better. For
(08:40):
a triple braided chord is not easily broken. Think back
to a time in your life when someone helped you
during a time of crisis, or when you helped someone else.
That's what the writer of Ecclesiastes references in verse ten.
(09:01):
If one person falls, the other can reach out and help.
But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Who
can you reach out to and help? This week? Think
(09:47):
about the relationships in your life. Which ones would you
consider shallow and deep? My friend, God wants our relationships
(10:29):
to be like a flower. Planted in rich soil, growing
stronger each day. Listen now as I read Ecclesiastes four
to twelve in the English Standard version. And though a
man might prevail against one who is alone, two will
withstand him. A threefold court is not quickly broken. Jesus
(10:58):
is the perfect model for our relationships. He found his
ultimate peace in his father, but he found earthly companionship
with his disciples, and within that circle of friends he
was closest to three disciples, Peter, James and John. What
(11:21):
can you learn from Jesus' model of relationships? Perhaps this
(11:55):
subject hits you hard. Maybe your circle of close Christian
friends is small. If so, then ask God right now
for wisdom on how you can strengthen your relationships. Look
for opportunities to make new friends. Maybe you can take
(12:18):
the first step for the next few moments, open your
heart to God. God wants your talents to be shared
(13:01):
with those around you. He wants you to encourage others
and to be encouraged by them. How would your life
be different if you had stronger relationships? As we close,
(13:50):
listen again to Ecclesiastes four nine to twelve, accept it
as God's promise to you, Two are better than one
because they have a good reward for their toil. For
if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But
(14:13):
woe to him who is alone when he falls and
has not another to lift him up again. If two
lie together, they keep warm, But how can one keep
warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one
who is alone, two will withstand him. A threefold chord
(14:39):
is not quickly broken. Please pray with me, dear Father,
(15:15):
You are holy, You are righteous. You are the perfect
model of friendship. Thank you for loving me before I
loved you. Father. I want to deepen my relationships with others.
I want relationship ships that are stronger than a chord
(15:37):
of three strands. I want them to be built on you.
Walk with me in this chapter of my life. Grant
me wisdom and patience. In Jesus' name, I pray Amen.
(15:58):
God is a friend who will never leave you. This week,
follow his guidance as you deepen your relationships, and until
next time, may you abide in Christ
Welcome to Abides Daily Christian Meditations. I'm Tyler Boss. Today's
meditation is brought to you by our partners at Life Audio.
If you go to lifeaudio dot com you will find
dozens of other faith centered podcasts in their network. They've
got shows about prayer, Bible study, parenting, and more. Head
over to lifeaudio dot com now, and remember you can
(00:57):
have full access to our meditations commercial free. Just text
abide to two two four three three for twenty five
percent off. Now receive his piece as we meditate and
abide in Christ.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Welcome to this Abide Meditation. I'm Bonnie Curry. How would
you describe your relationships those with your friends, your family members?
Are they merely convenient, perhaps even superficial, or are they
(01:32):
growing in strength and depth? Take a deep, relaxing breath
as you prepare to meditate on God's love. Strong relationships
are a fabric of life. That's how God designed it.
(01:56):
God doesn't want us flying solo through life storms. Instead,
God wants us to build up one another and to
encourage one another. He wants our relationships to be grounded
in Him and to grow stronger day by day. This
(02:18):
is how the writer of Ecclesiastes four to twelve. Put it,
and though a man might prevail against one who is alone,
two will withstand him. A threefold cord is not quickly broken.
(02:39):
Let's think about that. A one stranded rope is weak
and is limited in its use. But when that single
strand is woven together with other strands, it becomes immeasurably stronger.
The same is true in life. Relationships bring joy, laughter, encouragement,
(03:03):
and security. How can you strengthen your relationships this week?
Relationships are a hallmark of scripture. Ruth and Naomi, Jonathan
and David, Paul and Timothy, Jesus and his disciples. Life
(03:29):
can be challenging, but God provided a way to make
it easier. He gave us his peace and love. He
also gave us friends and family. Let's pray, Father, thank
you for your love, thank you for your joy and peace.
(03:54):
I want to have relationships that will encourage me in
my spiritual walk, and I want to be used by
you to encourage others. I want a relationship that is strong,
like a triple braided chord. Grant me wisdom to know
how to deepen the relationships. I have place new friends
(04:19):
in my life. Thank you for always being my perfect friend.
In Jesus' name. Amen, take another deep, relaxing breath, inhaling
through your nose. Hold it there for a moment. Now
(04:43):
exhale through your mouth. Hand all your troubles to God.
Focus only on his perfect peace. Take a few moments
(05:03):
now to search your heart. What do you need to
confess to God? Whatever it is, God's arms are open wide,
ready to forgive. He never gives up on you. Confess
your sin to him now. Our desire for relationships is
(05:39):
grounded in the triune God of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
From eternity past, God has been in community. It's mysterious,
but it's a picture of God's plan for us. Listen now,
as I read from Ecclesiastes four, verse twelve from the
(06:01):
New International Version, though one may be overpowered, two can
defend themselves. A chord of three strands is not quickly broken.
As I read that again, listen for a specific word
or phrase. Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.
(06:28):
A chord of three strands is not quickly broken. What
stood out? Meditate on God's word for the next few moments.
(07:11):
Many Bible commentators believe the third chord in this three
chorded strand represents God, the most essential element in any relationship.
Without God and the fruit of the Spirit, the love,
the patience, and the kindness that is modeled perfectly by Christ,
(07:33):
a relationship can easily crumb. How many relationships in your
life are grounded in Christ? Pray for more Christian friends
in your circle. Listen now as I read Ecclesiastes four
(08:18):
to twelve in the New Living Translation. These words were
written thousands of years ago for you. A person standing
alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand
back to back and conquer. Three are even better. For
(08:40):
a triple braided chord is not easily broken. Think back
to a time in your life when someone helped you
during a time of crisis, or when you helped someone else.
That's what the writer of Ecclesiastes references in verse ten.
(09:01):
If one person falls, the other can reach out and help.
But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Who
can you reach out to and help? This week? Think
(09:47):
about the relationships in your life. Which ones would you
consider shallow and deep? My friend, God wants our relationships
(10:29):
to be like a flower. Planted in rich soil, growing
stronger each day. Listen now as I read Ecclesiastes four
to twelve in the English Standard version. And though a
man might prevail against one who is alone, two will
withstand him. A threefold court is not quickly broken. Jesus
(10:58):
is the perfect model for our relationships. He found his
ultimate peace in his father, but he found earthly companionship
with his disciples, and within that circle of friends he
was closest to three disciples, Peter, James and John. What
(11:21):
can you learn from Jesus' model of relationships? Perhaps this
(11:55):
subject hits you hard. Maybe your circle of close Christian
friends is small. If so, then ask God right now
for wisdom on how you can strengthen your relationships. Look
for opportunities to make new friends. Maybe you can take
(12:18):
the first step for the next few moments, open your
heart to God. God wants your talents to be shared
(13:01):
with those around you. He wants you to encourage others
and to be encouraged by them. How would your life
be different if you had stronger relationships? As we close,
(13:50):
listen again to Ecclesiastes four nine to twelve, accept it
as God's promise to you, Two are better than one
because they have a good reward for their toil. For
if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But
(14:13):
woe to him who is alone when he falls and
has not another to lift him up again. If two
lie together, they keep warm, But how can one keep
warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one
who is alone, two will withstand him. A threefold chord
(14:39):
is not quickly broken. Please pray with me, dear Father,
(15:15):
You are holy, You are righteous. You are the perfect
model of friendship. Thank you for loving me before I
loved you. Father. I want to deepen my relationships with others.
I want relationship ships that are stronger than a chord
(15:37):
of three strands. I want them to be built on you.
Walk with me in this chapter of my life. Grant
me wisdom and patience. In Jesus' name, I pray Amen.
(15:58):
God is a friend who will never leave you. This week,
follow his guidance as you deepen your relationships, and until
next time, may you abide in Christ
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