Just Two Things

Read Proverbs 30

O God, I beg two favors from you; let me have them before I die. First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.

Proverbs 30:7-8

If God were to give you any two requests, would you choose these? Agur, the writer of this passage, requested only that he never tell a lie and that he not be too poor or too rich.

We can learn from this little prayer. This need not be the pattern for all that we request in life, but it reveals a heart that trusts completely in God and knows its own weaknesses. Agur wanted to never be dishonest—and we would do well to value honesty as highly. Agur also knew that riches might lead him away from his God, and intense poverty might do the same. So he asked God to take that into account and just meet his needs. We would do well to consider the natural outcome of some of our requests, understanding that what might seem good to us may not be good in the long run.

A WORD FOR TODAY

Learn contentment.

Lord, may I think through the requests I bring to you. Help me to remember that you have the big picture, that you know all things, and that you may at times even say no to my requests because you know my weaknesses better than I.