Cast down, but not destroyed
2 Corinthians 4:9 (KJV)
STORY
Late in the 1830s Nicholas Hellings found himself anxious and overwhelmed by his duties. As a calming measure, he decided to write a hymn for each day of the year based on the daily Scripture given by the Christian Almanack. Below is the first stanza of the hymn he penned for Thursday of the week of the first Sunday of March.
Cast down, but not destroyed,
Still leaning on the Lord:
Who will not make his promise void,
Nor change his sacred word.
DEVOTION
Coming together with other believers reminds us that we are not alone in this world. There are believers everywhere. It’s amazing that no matter where you are in the world, when you meet another believer it’s like you suddenly feel at home. That’s why Christian fellowship so important. Christians gather together to realize that we are not alone. Fellowship allows us to build those lasting relationships so we’re never by ourselves in the world.
The Greek word koinonia in the New Testament means fellowship. The essential meaning of the koinonia embraces concepts conveyed as community, communion, joint participation, sharing, and intimacy. The word appears 19 times in most editions of the Greek New Testament. In the American Standard Bible, it is translated “fellowship” twelve times, “sharing” three times, “participation” and “contribution” twice each.
When I was in college and an emerging enthusiastic Christian, koinonia was the first theological term that I learned, as it applied to fellowship group I attended every Wednesday evening, sponsored by Campus Crusade for Christ. It was more than just a fellowship group that sang songs and listened to student speakers, it was also a home away from home. It was a support group.
We need Christians who will support us, both in the mundane and the traumatic. From the creation story in Genesis, we learn that we were not meant to live in isolation, but in fellowship. Adam did have an intimate relationship with Eve, though as we continue to read the story his fellowship group expanded. As important as Eve was to his well-being, Adam needed others in his life.
I know that we can all speak from personal experience of the calm that other believers have brought into our storm-tossed lives. Their presence is the life preserver that we cling to when cast overboard into the churning waters of despair. They offer us both hope and reassurance. Be sure that you are willing to dive into the frigid waters of gloom, being the life preserve for a despondent soul.
Katie Couric is a well-known television journalist. Published on December 14, 2020, in the “Why I Care” section for People magazine, she shared that “I’ve been at the epicenter of two heart-breaking cancer stories in my lifetime.” This would have been her husband Jay and her sister Emily, both who died within nine months of each other. In the article she wrote that “Jay used to say having cancer was the loneliest experience in the world.” She went on to write that she was able to “partner” with others for support.
“Cast down,” we need the support of others.