Prosperity And Adversity
Sayings of Agur
5 "Every word of God is flawless;
he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
6 Do not add to his words,
or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.
7 "Two things I ask of you, O LORD;
do not refuse me before I die:
8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread.
9 Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you
and say, 'Who is the LORD ?'
Or I may become poor and steal,
and so dishonor the name of my God.
Bee's Thoughts:
"Give me only my daily bread" (v8).
It's so true that when a person is too rich or too poor, they will not seek God. The rich are too busy making money, so is the poor. Poor? Yes, the very poor will be too busy earning that litle money they could.
That's why 1 Timothy 6:6 says, "But godliness with contentment is great gain." Also in Matthew 6:19-20, it says:
19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
We need to learn contentment and spend time to build things that have eternal values. What are they? A pastor once said relationship is something we can bring to heaven, something God wants right from the beginning of His creation. Yes, sometimes we work so hard that we have no time or energy left to build relationship with people, even with those we seemingly 'love'.
Dear Lord,
Thank You for the reminder that we must have just enough and not to covet for more material things that usually rob us of our time for relationship building. Thank You that You have always supplied my needs in time. Even though sometimes I thought I might become too poor, yet You always provide at the right time. Thank You for taking care of me, just like You care for the birds in the air and the flowers f the field. Praise You! Amen
Tommy's Thoughts:
I had this thought today that I met God face to face and He asked me what I really want. For a moment, there were many ‘wants’ floating in my mind that I need to voice out. But, after thinking a little longer, I realized the most important thing for now is not those wants being fulfilled but knowing what God wants me to be; going to Him for my daily bread and to be renewed and strengthen each day.
Only through seeking Him first that I’ll learn and be ready to receive and be a faithful steward for all the things God has prepared for me at His time.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for molding and changing me each day. Guide me to be patient and focus in seeking You first before everything. Teach me also to trust You to provide all my needs and help me as I strive to live a life of obedience and integrity. Lead me to grow in Your grace and knowledge. To You be the glory both now and forever. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
