Two things I ask of you, O 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 dishonour the name of my God. – Proverbs 30:7-9 (NIV)
Dr. Brooks shared these verses with us during staff meeting this week. He was reflecting on them after having seen a clip that Francis Chan posted to You Tube where he was reflecting on these verses. They hit home so I wanted to share them with you.
Francis Chan’s reflection can be found here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2oi6y292kE). If you don’t have access to You Tube, here’s the gist:
The author asks just two things. First, keep falsehood and lies far from him. In this day and age where falsehood and lying have been redefined to allow for the latest loophole, this is a bold request.
Second, he asks that God give him neither poverty nor riches, but only his daily bread. This is an even bolder request. In this society, we are taught to do everything possible to make more than we need so we can take care of ourselves in the future. Certainly, this is not an unwise thing to do. It does, however, make it very easy to fall into a trap of self reliance. On the flip side, not having enough sends us into another set of temptations.
I have a friend who has been ministering and fulfilling her calling on a faith basis for years. Every dollar that comes in to pay bills, and to travel the world doing what God has called her to do comes in from people who give. She doesn’t go around fundraising for her ministry. She prays and trusts God for his provision. I have learned a great deal about faith through her friendship.
I don’t believe God calls everyone to this type of ministry. I do wonder with Francis Chan how many of us would be willing to boldly pray that prayer. Would you?
On another note, isn’t it great that Francis shared this and Dr. Brooks passed it along, and now I am sharing with you? This is what being part of a body is about. It is encouraging each other in the faith and walking the journey together. I am so glad to be on this journey with you.