Our reading for today is from Proverbs 30 written by a guy named Agur. Not much is said about him, but he obviously has the gift of wisdom. I was especially struck by verses 8 and 9 this morning:
"First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, "Who is the LORD?" And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God's holy name.
I'm not sure I've ever prayed this kind of prayer (give me neither poverty nor riches). I take that back; I have prayed that God would not give me poverty, but I've never prayed that God would NOT give me riches. In fact, I can't help but think of Tevye from "Fiddler on the Roof":
Tevye: Again with the rich. What is wrong with being rich?
Perchik: It's no reason to marry. Money is the world's curse.
Tevye: May the Lord smite me with it. And may I never recover.
Agur states the reason for praying such a bold prayer. It is so he would not forget who the LORD is. If he were to be rich, he would rely on his riches instead of God. If he were poor, he would rely on himself to provide by stealing. He simply asks God to provide what he NEEDS. That's it.
Sounds like another prayer we all know well:
Matthew 6:9-13
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And
lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the
kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
I guess if it was good enough for Agur and Jesus, then I should be doing it too. How about you?
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