“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17 (NIV)
Has there been a time in your Christian walk when you have had to stop, wonder, and even question what you’re doing? Many times, I
have wondered why God has put me in positions, places, and situations where I felt confused.
Like writing this devotional, for example. For the most part, I have kept my devotional life to myself. I grew up watching my parents go
to weekly Bible studies, workshops, and occasional training on weekends. But I thought to myself, “This relationship is between me and
God, and it’s up to me when and where I decide to share what I am going through.” Maybe that was just me using it as an excuse not to
fellowship with other believers.
Actually, I believe in fellowship—and when I fellowship, I come out feeling filled with positive energy and hopeful happy thoughts. But I have asked myself, why is fellowship so hard? Why is it hard to bring us together, and even harder since the COVID pandemic? Is the enemy now harder at work at this point in history, trying to destroy churches and believers? He probably is, but that is why we need each other more than ever.
We are all sinners, but we Christ followers have a purpose to show those around us who God is. Each of us has been given spiritual gifts by our Heavenly Father, and it’s our duty to use those gifts. And during our times of wondering and confusion, we must come together in fellowship. This is the mission of God—to unite us to bring glory to Christ. “Until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13, NIV).
– Laurie Wood Ducharme
Council Fire is a collaboration with Intertribal Life Ministries and Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.
The Council Fire Daily Devotional Book Set is available on the Intertribal Life Ministries website.
Learn more about Council Fire at councilfire365.org