Daily Devotional for December 11, 2015
Proverbs 30
Scripture:
7 “Two things I ask of you, O LORD; do not refuse me before I die: 8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. 9 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.
Observation:
These verses tell us of two good requests from the Lord. The first request is to “keep falsehood and lies far from me.” Yes, please! In our world, trust is seemingly hard to find—simply due to the amount of falsehood we deal with on a daily basis. From commercials for products promising to change our world, to the half-truths and hidden agendas that creep up in conversations, falsehood surrounds us. I encourage you, as Spirit-empowered men, to be a part of the solution, not the problem. We have a responsibility to be honest and truthful, even when it hurts. Be men of integrity; show the world how God intended us to be.
The second request is good for us and makes a lot of sense. I think, however, that people in this modern culture would have a major issue with the request to “give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.” I think most people would embrace the first phrase, to keep us from poverty. The second phrase may create a conflict in our personal desires: to keep us from riches. What I appreciate about this request is the honesty of the writer who has a strong desire to fully depend on and follow God. By recognizing his tendency to allow riches to distract him from dependence on God, he is requesting that God will remove the temptation. An incredible peace comes with the idea of walking every day with a sense of God’s presence and provision; not worrying about tomorrow, but knowing that God will be with us each and every day.
These requests are not entirely about the subjects of falsehood, poverty, or riches. These requests are also about a man who has recognized his weaknesses and tendencies. He is asking for help to avoid the things that may distract him from fully devoting his life to God. I have heard the saying, “Your greatest strength is to know your weakness.” This has truth for us today. The key to overcoming our struggles is to admit that we have them and ask God for His assistance. As Spirit-empowered men, we are not immune to struggles and temptations. Let’s remember to ask God for His assistance in the temptations that we face each day.
Application:
- Personal Application: Recognize your weaknesses and tendencies toward sin. Find a good friend that you trust and discuss these areas with him. Ask God daily for His help to overcome temptation and sin.
- Family Devotional: Read this proverb to your family. Ask them if any part of it spoke to them as you read. Talk about their answers and show them that one important aspect of this chapter is knowing your weaknesses and asking God for help in those areas. Pray for them.
Prayer:
- Personal Prayer Focus: Ask for God to help you in the areas of weakness and temptation.
- Family Prayer Focus: Pray that your family will recognize the areas of temptation in their life and turn to God for help to overcome them.
Three-Year Reading Plan for Sunday, December 6 – Sunday, December 13:
- Sunday, December 6: Lamentations 4
- Monday, December 7: Lamentations 5
- Tuesday, December 8: Psalms 66-67
- Wednesday, December 9: Psalms 68
- Thursday, December 10: Psalms 69
- Friday, December 11: Proverbs 30
- Saturday, December 12: Proverbs 31
- Sunday, December 13: Acts 1
—TOM GROOT is National Director of Men’s Ministry and Christian Education. Connect with Tom on Facebook or Twitter @TomGrootJr.
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