Paul said, “I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound” (Philippians 4:12). In the book of Proverbs, a man named Agur prayed about having too little and having too much.
A prayer (30:7). “Two things I request of You (Deprive me not before I die).” Agur asked God for two things, and he wanted them for his whole life.
Deprive me not. To deprive means to hold something back. Agur asked God not to hold back these two things as long as he lived.
The first request (30:8). “Remove falsehood and lies far from me.” Falsehood means things that are not true. Agur asked God to keep lies far away from him.
Help to be honest. Agur asked God for help to stay honest. He did not try to stay honest all by himself.
True words. Lies can seem small, but they hurt trust between people and pull us away from God. God loves the truth.
God is true. God never lies. We can trust everything He says, and He helps His children speak the truth.
A good heart first. Agur’s first request was not for money or comfort. He asked God to keep his heart honest.
Every day. We can ask God for help with what we say at home, at school and with friends.
When we lie. All of us have said things that are not true. Lying is sin, and it breaks trust with God and with others.
Jesus never lied. Jesus always spoke the truth. He died on the cross for our sins, including every lie, and God raised Him from the dead.
Forgiven. When we trust Jesus and tell God our sins, He forgives us and helps us start again. “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered” (Psalm 32:1).
Truth and safety. Some secrets should never be kept. If anyone asks you to keep a secret that worries you, tell a parent or a grown-up you trust. Telling the truth is never wrong.
What this means for you. Pray Agur’s first request this week: ask God to keep lies far from you. When you slip, tell Him right away.
The second request (30:8). “Give me neither poverty nor riches— Feed me with the food allotted to me.” Agur asked God not to make him very poor or very rich.
Just enough. The food allotted means the share God gives for each day. Agur asked for what he needed, day by day.
The danger of too much (30:9). “Lest I be full and deny You.” Agur knew that people who have plenty can forget that every good thing comes from God. He feared he might even ask who the Lord was.
Good things are not sin. Having good things is not a sin. The danger is forgetting the God who gave them.
The danger of too little. “Or lest I be poor and steal, And profane the name of my God.” Agur knew that being very poor could tempt him to take what was not his. To profane God’s name means to bring dishonor on it.
No shame. Being poor is never a sin, and it is never a child’s fault. Agur was asking God to keep his own heart from temptation in every kind of life.
If you need help. If you don’t have enough food or don’t feel safe at home, tell a grown-up you trust, such as a teacher, a pastor or a relative. Asking for help is right.
Trusting God for today. Agur did not ask for a huge pile of riches to keep him safe for years. He trusted God to give him what he needed each day.
Like Paul. Paul learned to be content with plenty and with little. Agur prayed that neither one would pull his heart away from God.
The bread of life. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger” (John 6:35). Jesus gives what our hearts need most.
Our sin. All of us have wanted more than we needed, and all of us have forgotten God at times. That is sin.
The cross. Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose again. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
Trust Him. Everyone who trusts Jesus is forgiven and belongs to God, in plenty and in need.
What this means for you. Thank God at each meal this week for the food He gives. Then ask Him to help you remember Him every day.
Complete all sections to finish!
Read each section and answer the questions correctly.