Proverbs 30:7-9, “God, I ask you to do two things for me before I die. 8 Don’t let me tell lies. And don’t make me too rich or too poor—give me only enough food for each day. 9 If I have too much, I might deny that I need you, Lord. But if I am too poor, I might steal and bring shame to the name of my God.”
Deny my need for God? Yikes! But I can easily see how this can be when we think too much of ourselves, our failures, or our successes. Think about it. People tend to get wrapped up in what “they” did, forgetting that it’s not about them (us), it is all about Him. The focus was removed from where it should be…on God.
We need to remember that He is the reason we have life. He gives and takes away. (Job knew this all too well. See Job 1:21, “…The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.”)
When I read the verses in Proverbs 30 this morning, a couple of things ran through my head. First of all, when I saw where I was reading I went, “Oh no! The Proverbs 31 woman is coming up soon.” Then, the phrase “Do not lie”. An instance occurred recently that drove this home to me. PLEASE…Do Not lie! Period. No elaboration needed. Next, I thought about the many blessings and low points I’ve had in my life and what I’ve learned from them all. “Thank you, God, for the richness and poorness in my life to remind me that my focus needs to be all on You.” Finally, the portion that says, “give me only enough food for each day” drew me to The Lord’s Prayer:
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, forever. Amen.”
God will provide for all our needs. We need to appreciate what we have each day, no matter how little or how big. Trust in Him.
Here’s what I’m thinking…if we have our focus on God, desiring to know Him more, wanting to grow closer to Him, and aspiring to share His Son and love with others, we will discover that everything will fall into place in the “needs” category. Matthew 6:33 reminds us, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.” Amen.
What do we need….Jesus.
Don’t deny God.
Blessings to you.
December 12, “Walking in the Wrod”
