Satisfaction

In Proverbs 30:7-9, Agur cries out to the Lord, "O God, I beg two favors 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. For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, 'Who is the Lord?' And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name."

So often, I come to God and ask Him for such meaningless things. As I read these sayings of Agur, first of all, I was moved by the poetry that he spoke to God throughout the proverb, but I was also moved by the wisdom in his prayer.

Agur first sought to be honest before the Lord and man. He didn't want to pay lip service to God or others. He wanted that honesty that comes from the heart--pure and righteous. How often do we say one thing, when in our hearts, we mean another? Or, how often do we say we'll do something, and not follow through? Agur wanted to have integrity in his word and in his walk. He asked...no, begged the Lord for that kind of integrity that only comes from relationship with Him.

Secondly, he wanted to be satisfied. So often, we seek riches or power or popularity. He wanted enough so that he wouldn't be tempted to steal, but not so much that he might depend on it, and not on God. What a noble prayer.

Sunday night, the youth blessed me in worship. One of the songs they sang was, "My Portion Forever." It says, "Lord, You are all I need, my portion forever, the strength of my heart and my life. You're my sufficiency. In You, I take refuge. You're my all when all is gone."

Agur spoke a sure word. There was no anxiety or worry in what he said or what he asked for. Further in his sayings, he spoke of the things he was sure of. This song, My Portion Forever does the same thing. It reminds us, as it says in Isaiah 40, that "the grass withers and the flowers fade, but Your promises are sure." Our dependency, our hope is in the Lord, not on the things of this earth--money, status, influence, popularity....

When we are seeking God and what He wants for our lives--nothing more, nothing less--the complexities of life seem to fall away, and we are left with pure, simple satisfaction. Thank you, Agur for recording these words for us so that we could be reminded that all we need is to live lives of integrity and be satisfied with our portion.

Who can satisfy my soul like You? Who could ever comfort me, or love me like You do? Who could ever be more faithful, true. I will trust in You, my God. --Dennis Jernigan.

Lord, thank You for being a God who meets our every need. Thank You for the promises that are throughout Your Word about how You will provide for us. Thank You for reminding us of Your love for us. Thank You for people like Agur who walked before us, and taught us how to pray for noble, meaningful things. His prayer was truly not of this earth, but focused on a walk with You. Help me to seek and be passionate about the things of Your Kingdom and to be satisfied with my portion here on earth. You are the only portion I need--the eternal One.