Daily Devotional For Friday, July 3, 2026
Good morning Southside! Our daily devotional for today comes from Proverbs 30:7-9:
“Two things I asked of You, Do not refuse me before I die: (8) Keep deception and lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion, (9) That I not be full and deny You and say, “Who is the Lord?” Or that I not be in want and steal, And profane the name of my God” (NASB).
We live in a culture where people, even Christian people, are looking for a “get rich quick” scheme such as winning the lottery. This means they have to buy a lottery ticket. Greed is not a sin limited and confined to non-Christians. Today, many Christians are so far in debt that it would take a huge life insurance policy to bail them out. They spend money they do not have to buy things they do not need to impress people they do not like and at times do not even know. While they are so busy attempting to keep up with the Jones, what they do not know is that the Jones refinanced.
First, Agur, the writer of this proverb, requests that God would keep him from telling lies. One of the first lies we often tell ourselves is that we need more and more. Contentment is something all of us struggle with in life. Materialism has its ugly clutches around most people, even Christians. If you compare this prayer to the Lord’s Prayer, or The Disciple’s Prayer as I call it, there is some similarity in 3 ways. For example:
- “Keep deception and lies far from me . . .” is similar to Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:9, “. . . may Your name be kept holy.”
- “Feed me with the food that is my portion . . .” is similar to Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:11, “Give us today the food we need . . .”
- “And profane the name of my God” is similar to Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:13, “. . . And don’t let us yield to temptation.”
His first request to be kept from deception and lies resonantes with other proverbs such as Proverbs 14:5, Proverbs 19:22, and Proverbs 23:3. Agur was asking God to keep him from the extremes economically – abject poverty and filthy rich. In Agur’s second request this reminds us of the quota of manna and quail in the wilderness in Exodus 16:18. Enough to keep me from starving and not too much so that he gorged. Agur is aware of the spiritual and moral damage both of these economic extremes can cause.
Second, these first two requests remind us of Solomon’s words in Proverbs 6:116-19. So Agur prays second that he would be protected from telling lies either out of fear of greed or poverty. He prays only for sufficiency as we are reminded to do in Matthew 6:11, Luke 11:3 and in 1 Timothy 6:8.
In Agur’s third request, he is aware that true riches is wisdom. He does not want to become wealthy as Solomon and like Solmon later feel he no longer needs God. He does not want to be vulnerable to live a life of independence from God. This reminds us of Solmon’s words in Proverbs 11:28 and the Apostle Paul’s words in Philippians 4:11-12. None of us probably consider ourselves hoarders, but most of us are. We have stuff crammed in closets, attics, garages and even in storage units that we no longer use or need. But we hold on to it as if our life depended on it. Some of it may be due to sentimental reasons (ex. Things and items for parents or family members), but most are unnecessary. The more we have, the more it costs in so many ways. Agur’s prayer to God reminds us that contentment and sufficiency are all we need as our riches.
Reflection Assignment: If the Lord told you to get rid of all the extras except the basics for life, what basics would you keep and why? What does this reveal about you? What can you do to make your life more simple? How can you fulfill Agur’s prayer for your own life?
Scripture To Meditate On: Hebrew 13:5, “Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, ‘I will never fail you. I will never abandon you’” (NLT).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Lord, help me to move towards a life of less of things and more of contentment in You. I know I can't take it with me. I know You have said You would provide for all my needs. Help me to trust You and not lie to myself that You will not keep Your word. I love You Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly