•Monday, August 02, 2010
"O God, I beg two favors from you: let me have them before I die. First, help me to never tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs." Proverbs 30:7-8 NLT
Confession: Sometimes I wish to be filthy rich. Imagine not having to worry if you can afford a few pleasures and luxeries from time to time. I'm sure I'm not the only one who falls into this fantasy. It's easy enough to do when we look around at others who seem to be sailing through life on a sea of money while we're scraping pennies together to cover basic expenses.
But the author of this proverb reminds us that there is more to life than wealth. His first request is to be a man of integrity. A far more worthy desire than money! The second favor he asks is to have "just enough to satisfy my needs." He explains, "For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, 'Who is the Lord?'"
Financial security strips us of something vital: the need to depend on the Lord to provide our daily bread. When we are self-sufficient, we forget that God is the source of all things. What we have is a gift from him, even if it is earned by the labor of our hands. Sometimes God blesses us with money, other times he blesses us with the opportunity to trust him.
Proverbs 28:6 tells us, "Better to be poor and honest than to be dishonest and rich." Integrity and character will be honored by the Lord. There is so much more to life than money. So let your prayer be as mine: "Give me just enough to satisfy my needs."
Confession: Sometimes I wish to be filthy rich. Imagine not having to worry if you can afford a few pleasures and luxeries from time to time. I'm sure I'm not the only one who falls into this fantasy. It's easy enough to do when we look around at others who seem to be sailing through life on a sea of money while we're scraping pennies together to cover basic expenses.
But the author of this proverb reminds us that there is more to life than wealth. His first request is to be a man of integrity. A far more worthy desire than money! The second favor he asks is to have "just enough to satisfy my needs." He explains, "For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, 'Who is the Lord?'"
Financial security strips us of something vital: the need to depend on the Lord to provide our daily bread. When we are self-sufficient, we forget that God is the source of all things. What we have is a gift from him, even if it is earned by the labor of our hands. Sometimes God blesses us with money, other times he blesses us with the opportunity to trust him.
Proverbs 28:6 tells us, "Better to be poor and honest than to be dishonest and rich." Integrity and character will be honored by the Lord. There is so much more to life than money. So let your prayer be as mine: "Give me just enough to satisfy my needs."
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1 comments:
This is so true. I think people can forget to hold onto God when they are even financially content. I think God is teaching me this now. Work didnt like that I refused to work sundays so they cut my hours. But I am hoping that maybe I can be a teachers aid. That is what I really would love to do. So hopefully :). Thanks so much for these words to meditate on. :)