verse of the day

Monday, 8 January 2024

Extremes, ( Proverbs 30 v8 -9 )

Let us consider again what Agur writes ,' O God ,I beg two favours from you;let me have them before I die.First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.(Proverbs 30 v 7-8)  One translation  puts it like this,'Remove far  from me vanity and lies'.The word of God  speaks of the pride of live,( 1 John 2 v16) We are called to walk humble with our God (Micah 6 v 8) Pride is a sin, in whatever form it manifests itself, be it a car,home,or are so called good looks,the gifts we have,the money we have,the success we have ,and so we could go on. Agur wants God to keep him humble. Then He ask God to shield him from extremes ,from being poor and being rich,let us be honest not many of us want to be poor,migration is fulled by people who are poor, Yet Jesus said the poor you will have with you always (John 12 v 8) Indeed we are told that God chooses the poor of the world to be rich in faith (James 2 v5) And yet it can have its disadvantages it brings with it temptations,( Pr v 30 v9) which we may yield to, become a thief ,become  embittered. He also mentions the dangers of riches,Judas wanted to be rich,consider what he did, there are dangers in prosperity Israel was warned about it,it is so easy to forget the Lord and forsake Him.( Deuteronomy 6 v 10 - 12)So Agur recognises the dangers of extremes, because they  both may draw us away from God. Charles Bridges writes as regards poverty and riches says the following,  'Many of God's children are in both these conditions let them seek for grace to glorify God in either estate'.

 


 













0

No comments: