Posted on 03/29/2021 10:54:16 PM PDT by Pilgrim's Progress
“Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain” (Proverbs 30:7-9 KJV).
Jesus would later teach us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread” (Luke 11:3), and Paul would remind us that “Godliness with contentment is great gain” (I Timothy 6:6). Agur is simply saying here, “Lord, meet our needs.” He does not ask for more of that lest he forget to depend upon God’s goodness and his faith grow complacent. He does not hope for less, lest he become angry with his heavenly benefactor and curse Him. Because of his special, child-like relationship of trust with the God of the universe, Agur also begs God to keep him from the sin of pride and any vain idea that he might be better than others. To let on that he was one of God’s more special saints would be a lie of a most ugly fashion.
As Israel was finishing up their long ordeal in the wilderness and was contemplating crossing the Jordan this very warning was given to them. Agur was by no means the original author of this concept, for the Lord had already presented Israel with the fact that it was He that gave Israel all they had or ever would have—and not their own cunning or the power of their own hands.
“Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint; Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end; And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:12-17 KJV).
Christian, everything you are and everything you have is from God. And all of our rich blessings are far more than we’ll ever deserve. Be content with what you have, and use it all—your life, your time, your talents, your possessions, everything—for the glory of God realizing that if any of us were given what we truly deserve we would already be in the flames of hell.
Consider the spiritual weight of Agur’s prayer. Many pray against poverty. But few pray against prosperity. Is it possible in an age of greed and covetousness for a man to pray against poverty and prosperity? Is your affection on things above? Or do you mind earthly things? Can your soul make the prayer sincerely?
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