October 4, Proverbs 30
Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is needful for me.”
- Proverbs 30:8
The sayings of Agur, son of Jekeh are in this chapter, near the end of Solomon’s collection of Proverbs. We know nothing else about Agur or his father. But today's meditation is based on a request Agur made to the Lord. "Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die: Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is needful for me" (Proverbs 30:7-8).
We understand Agur's first petition. We know we can’t lie to God, and we’ve learned that consequences always follow lying to one another. We can lie to ourselves for a while, but it’s really foolish to do so. Whether we've been the one telling or hearing the lies, we all
know the destructive power of falsehood. So that first request is pretty clear. But how many of us would make the second request?
Next, Agur asked, “Give me neither poverty nor riches.” He asked to be spared from the pressures that come from both economic extremes, from poverty as well as wealth. Then, as the NIV puts it, Agur said, "Give me only my daily bread." Here is an Old Testament pre-echo of Jesus' words in the model prayer: "give us this day our daily bread..." (Matthew 6:11). Agur knew that God gave him all he had, down to the food he needed that day. He expressed his trust in the Lord to provide for his daily needs when he made that request.
But there’s something else here in the request, a certain healthy distrust of self. Look at the next verse: "lest I be full and deny you and say, 'Who is the Lord?' or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God" (verse 9). Agur knew that prideful humans tend to credit themselves in prosperity. Through Moses, God warned the Israelites who were about to enter Canaan: "And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. Take care lest you forget the Lord your God... Beware lest you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.' You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth. . . " (Deuteronomy 8:10-11, 17-18). It is so easy to trust the gift instead of the Giver! Paul reminded rich folks not to trust riches, but in “God who richly provides us with everything to enjoy" (1 Timothy 6:17). Material things compete with God for first place in our hearts. That’s one reason Jesus said so much about money and our attitude toward it.
There’s more. Agur also feared that hunger might drive him to steal. So he asked the Lord to give him what he needed each day so that he would not dishonor God by dishonest deeds. This is another facet of trusting God and not trusting ourselves.
In a land of plenty, the petition for daily bread may seem hollow or simplistic. But praying this prayer reminds us that we depend on God for each day's sustenance. The fact that our pantries and stores are well stocked does not alter the fact that it all comes from God. We will be saved from covetousness if we will remember this. We will also enjoy a rich contentment with what we have when we rely on God in his wisdom and goodness to give us what we need.
Do you have the courage to pray Agur's prayer? Does your trusting faith in your providing heavenly Father free you from worry and fear about material things? Are you humble enough to ask for what you need today, and content to enjoy what he gives you?
Copyright © 2021 by Michael B. McElroy. Used
by permission. All rights reserved.
Today in God's Word—October 2024
East Tallassee Church of Christ
Comments