Friday, September 27, 2013
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Monday, September 16, 2013
The wisdom of Agur
Proverbs 30:8b--Give me neither poverty nor riches...
In a world in which many strive for riches, Agur's wisdom declines the desire. Why would he choose such a path? Could it be that he knew it may cause him to fall into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition?(I Timothy 6:9) Could it be that he was concerned that he may stray from the faith because of his love of money?(I Timothy 6:10) Yes, and yes. In the following verse (Proverbs 30:10), Agur states that riches would cause him to be full and deny God, saying, "Who is the Lord?"
Today, I would like for you to consider one simple thought. Do you understand the grip money, the love of money, can have on your soul? It can utterly destroy you. II Corinthians 2:11 informs us that Satan can take advantage of us if we are ignorant of his devices. I would like for you to ponder this concept. Satan mainly uses two methods to distract individuals from Christ: pain and pleasure. Through pain he causes people to doubt whether God even exists, and if He does, why does He not intervene. We can see that happening in some cases around us. But I believe by far, Satan has been much more successful at taking the eyes of humans off of Christ by giving them pleasure.
Pleasure causes people to feel that God is not needed. He is forgotten. They can trust in riches, or their health, or their medicine, or their property, or their friends. All things that are vain and passing away. Have you fallen prey to this device of Satan? Can you say that money and possessions have no grip on you?
May we learn from Agur's wisdom and ask God for neither poverty nor riches. May we turn our trust over to God instead of our pocket book. May we be wise to Satan's devices and recognize that the way of the cross(suffering and self-denial) leads us to God.
In a world in which many strive for riches, Agur's wisdom declines the desire. Why would he choose such a path? Could it be that he knew it may cause him to fall into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition?(I Timothy 6:9) Could it be that he was concerned that he may stray from the faith because of his love of money?(I Timothy 6:10) Yes, and yes. In the following verse (Proverbs 30:10), Agur states that riches would cause him to be full and deny God, saying, "Who is the Lord?"
Today, I would like for you to consider one simple thought. Do you understand the grip money, the love of money, can have on your soul? It can utterly destroy you. II Corinthians 2:11 informs us that Satan can take advantage of us if we are ignorant of his devices. I would like for you to ponder this concept. Satan mainly uses two methods to distract individuals from Christ: pain and pleasure. Through pain he causes people to doubt whether God even exists, and if He does, why does He not intervene. We can see that happening in some cases around us. But I believe by far, Satan has been much more successful at taking the eyes of humans off of Christ by giving them pleasure.
Pleasure causes people to feel that God is not needed. He is forgotten. They can trust in riches, or their health, or their medicine, or their property, or their friends. All things that are vain and passing away. Have you fallen prey to this device of Satan? Can you say that money and possessions have no grip on you?
May we learn from Agur's wisdom and ask God for neither poverty nor riches. May we turn our trust over to God instead of our pocket book. May we be wise to Satan's devices and recognize that the way of the cross(suffering and self-denial) leads us to God.
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