Daily Devotional Betty Miller shares her daily devotionals which are based on the book of Proverbs in
the Bible.
The Wisdom of God
Verses for the Day:
Proverbs
30:7-9 (KJV): 7 Two things have I required
of thee; deny me them not before I die:
8 Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed
me with food convenient for me.
9 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 (AMP): 7 Two things have I asked of
You (O Lord); deny them not to me before I die:
8 Remove far from me falsehood and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with the food that is needful for me.
9 Lest I be full and deny You and say, Who is the Lord? Or lest I be poor and
steal, and so profane the name of my God.
Thoughts for the Day:
These verses
from Proverbs are the cry of Agur's heart, asking God
to cleanse him from all vanity and lies and also, for God to just supply him
with his basic needs, as he does not want to be poor, nor does he want to be
rich. Verse 7 records the prayer of a man who is just asking for two
things before he dies. The kind of prayer that he is praying is certainly one
that is pleasing to God, as Agur wants to have a pure heart, free of pride and
deceit. This man knew how to pray, as the Bible says those who observe lying
vanities forsake their own mercy.
Jonah 2:8: They
that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
In verse 8
of Proverbs 30, afterthis man makes his first request of being
free from lies and vanity, he then states his second request. He asks not
to be poor, nor rich. There are certain temptations that come with both wealth
and poverty. The greatest danger of wealth is pride, while poverty brings
desperation. The other dangers of wealth and abundance, besides pride, are the
temptations of becoming full and forgetting God; playing God by abusing the
power that comes with money; and being so distracted with things, one has no
time for God. Lust and materialism can also become temptations
The temptations
that come with poverty are stealing, self-pity, fear, discouragement and
hopelessness, to name a few. People who are poor and do not know God, resort to
many things to try and meet their needs. They are tempted to steal or gamble or
lie to get extra funds. Poverty is like a black cloud hanging over them which
causes depression and fear. Women will sometimes even sell their own bodies to
make ends meet.
Poverty is
definitely a curse and God instructed His people not to oppress the poor, as they
already had enough trouble. The Bible even tells us that if we hire someone to
work for us who is poor, we should give them their wages that same day. Since
they are poor, they have their heart set on receiving their pay right away, as it
usually goes for their daily provision. Deuteronomy 24:15 says it
is sinful for us if we withhold their wages until a later time. If we do
that, they may pray unto God about our treatment of them.
Deuteronomy
24:14-15:
14 Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be
of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that are in thy land within thy gates:
15 At his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon
it; for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it: lest he cry against thee unto
the LORD, and it be sin unto thee.
Saint Paul, in the
New Testament, said he had learned to be content in whatever state he found
himself. It mattered not if he was abounding, and had plenty, or if he was
abased and suffered lack. He learned to trust God and rely on Him to meet every
need in his life. This is similar to the prayer of Agur, as he prayed not
to have too little or too much. God wants us to trust Him and not be fearful, as
God promises us that He will always take care of our basic needs.
Philippians
4:11-13:
11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state
I am, therewith to be content.
12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in
all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and
to suffer need.
13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Matthew
6:31-33:
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we
drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father
knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these
things shall be added unto you.
Prayer for the Day:
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for Your promise of provision for our needs. Lord, deliver me from any
concern or worry about what I shall eat or wear, for I know You will take care
of me. Lord, give me the grace and faith I need to trust You to meet all of my
needs. Forgive me when I have been wasteful or careless and help me to be a good
steward over all that You have entrusted to me. Lord, may I be as the Apostle
Paul -- content with a little or a lot. I lean on Your strength to overcome all
situations I face, and I am confident that I shall have the victory in Christ's
name. Amen.
