Gold Nugget
Verse 8-9: Remove falsehood and lies far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches-- Feed me with the food allotted to me; 9 Lest I be full and deny You, And say, "Who is the Lord?" Or lest I be poor and steal, And profane the name of my God.
Commentary
One of the many names/titles that you may have often heard God referred to as may be Jehovah Jireh - often translated as The Lord Who Provides. Today's "gold nugget" shines the light on three positions in life: the person who lacks what he needs to survive, the person who lives in abundance and the person who has his needs meet without excess. We will quickly look at these three situations and how they can affect your spiritual condition.
- The Person who lacks what he needs:
- The scripture from today's proverb describes how people who lack can bring shame to His name. "lest I be poor and steal, And profane the name of my God." Two trains of thought - those who lack what they need can place them in a state of despair, leading to potentially drastic measures; while the drastic measures, like stealing or something along those lines can bring shame to the name of the person you serve.
- The Person who lives in excess:
- Jesus said "It's easier for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God". (Matthew 19:24) I believe today's "gold nugget" sheds light on this truth. People who live in abundance often can't relate to being in need - even being in need of a savior. They are so self sufficient that they can't make the connection with needing anyone aside from themselves. "Lest I be full and deny You".
- The Person who has their needs meet without excess:
- This person fulfills what the Lord promises us in His Word. He will supply all our need according to His riches and glory. He knows what we have need of before we ask. Jesus said, "Take no thought of what you will eat or what you will wear". He takes care of the birds, He will take care of you. This person is content with whatever God provides him, knowing that God will not leave him starving and naked.
Over 20 years ago I asked my dad what he would want if God told him he could have any single thing he asked for. Figuring he would follow the pattern of Solomon when God made this offer to him, I expected him to ask for wisdom. Well, that was appropriate for Solomon, but my dad responded differently and it has stuck with me through the years. He said, "I would ask for contentment." After considering it, it is quite profound. If I have contentment, I have all I need or want. There is nothing I would ever have to ask for. Why would I? I am content. It goes without saying that we are not talking about being content with less than what we should be. It is more along the lines of the words of Paul - "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." (Philippians 4:11)
Prayer (For today, should the prayer be any other than the gold nugget itself?)
Lord, remove falsehood and lies far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches- Feed me with the food allotted to me; Lest I be full and deny You, And say, "Who is the Lord?" Or lest I be poor and steal, And profane the name of my God. Amen
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