January 30th, 2026
Scripture – ““Two things I ask of you, Lord; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. 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.”
Proverbs 30:7-9 NIV
Observation – The writer of Proverbs asks God for two specific things: to keep falsehood and lies far from him, and to give him neither poverty nor riches. The request to be protected from lying is straightforward, but he thoughtfully explains why he does not want to be either poor or wealthy. If he has too much, he knows his heart will drift toward pride and self-sufficiency and he will say, “Who is the Lord?”—placing himself in God’s position. If he has too little, he fears he will stop trusting God’s provision and be tempted to steal, bringing dishonor to God’s name.
Application – This man had an honest and accurate view of himself. He understood that no one can serve both God and money, so he asked God to remove the temptation altogether. He also recognized the truth that while the spirit may be willing, the flesh is weak, and he did not trust himself to withstand those pressures on his own. Like him, we are called to confess our weaknesses to the Lord and decisively remove the temptations that lead us away from faithfulness. As Jesus taught, it is better to lose what causes us to sin than to cling to it and lose our soul.
Prayer – Lord, you know us, I pray that each us would confess our sins so that you would purify us from all unrighteousness and rescue us from future days of trouble that we are heading for if we don’t get our hearts right with you. Amen.
What are you doing? Do it better 