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Day 186, or July 5. We need to be even closer. Our thoughts today are rooted in Proverbs

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chapter 18 verse 24. There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

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Now the big picture surrounding this verse. Solomon continues his Proverbs encouraging

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godly living. These are the Proverbs that you may well have seen on calendars, as they

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are short pithy sayings that have much to say to us and provoke us into thinking about

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what we are doing with our daily lives.

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And now, today's action step. Two hundred years ago there were two brothers who were

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born in Siam, now Thailand. Their names were Chang and Eng Bunker, and they were conjoined

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twins who were never separated. They spent the whole of their lives joined together.

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They were as close as brothers could ever be, but our proverb today describes someone

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who is even closer. This prophetic proverb points to Jesus Christ who said in John's

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Gospel, If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit. Apart from me, you

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can do nothing. This is so much more than physical closeness. Not only does he describe

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this as the essential lifestyle for believers, but also warns of failure if it is not so.

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In our weak moments it is relatively easy to rely on Jesus. However, when we are doing

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well and we are making good progress, we perceive less need of God. The apostle Paul was right

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when he said, When I am weak, then I am strong.

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Going back to the Bunker twins, they found the only way to live their daily lives joined

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together was to alternate who was the leader. For three days Chang would lead, and his brother

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Eng was silent. The following three days the roles were reversed. However, we don't get

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a turn to lead with God. He is always in control, if we are to do anything fruitful. The Bunker

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twins were remarkably close, but we need to be even closer to Jesus. Unlike the twins,

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we should never be the alternative leader, but always rely on Jesus to lead, and for

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us to follow faithfully every day.