We know that we should be contented. However, in a world full of comparisons and things that stir up our desires, it is indeed hard to remain content. Yet, the Bible offers us one wise prayer which we should all learn, especially in such times as the lingering pandemic, where our income may take a dip, or financial challenges may tempt us to doubt God or disobey Him. Perhaps before the pandemic, we have put too much trust in our financial security, such that we place less emphasis on God. Or now when we feel more lack and insecure than before, we may resort to ungodly ways of managing the situation. Here is a prayer to guard our hearts:

<Prov 30>

7 “Two things I ask of you, 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.

Humility is wisdom.

<Proverbs> is a book of wisdom. And for someone to pray like the above, it reveals his humility. Because he knows himself very well, he understands that he is so vulnerable to temptations, and it is so easy for him to disown or dishonour God. Furthermore, he knows too well that if he faces temptations, he absolutely cannot depend on his own determination to overcome it, that is why he will come earnestly seeking for God’s help. Such display of humility is wisdom. The wisdom which the Bible talks about is not so much the usual worldly intelligence or knowledge, but it is the wisdom of realising one’s limitations and the acknowledgement of God’s power, thus wanting to rely fully on God.

The beauty of the author, Agur’s prayer is that he placed the emphasis of his prayer on the ‘glory of God’, instead of his own human needs. He did not want his abundance to cancel out God’s glory and the credit God deserves; he was also afraid that he might react wrongly to poverty such that he disgraced God’s name. Thus, we can see that his concern is for God’s honor. Only a humble person can put down what he desires and completely trust God. Indeed, such God-honoring prayer will certainly be answered by the Lord.

Here, the temptation Agur feared falling into was:

The trap of poverty and riches.

It says here, “Keep falsehood and lies far from me.” Indeed, we need to realise that there are certain falsehood concerning both riches and poverty. The lie about riches convinces us that we do not need God and wealth suffices. The falsehood about poverty tells us that God is not powerful to provide for us. This lie prompts you to ignore God’s commands when you are poor, thinking that those commands are impossible to keep when one is in lack. And since God cannot help you when you are poor, you have to depend on yourself to break free from poverty. We have to be careful of the deception by both riches and poverty, for both are dangerous. As what Agur said, once man is satisfied, he will easily grow proud and forget about God, disowning Him. Yet, when man is in lack, he may be tempted to covet and steal, thus dishonouring God’s name. Thus, both riches and poverty can turn us away from God.

Now, if poverty is dreadful and having wealth to the extent of losing oneself is scary, then what is even worse is to disown God, to deny that we need Him, and to deny that everything we have comes from Him. Such a person is not only going to be miserable, but he will also certainly face judgement.

<Prov 15:16> Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil.

<Deut 8> 17 You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” 18 But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth…19 If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed.

<Job 31> 24 “If I have put my trust in gold
    or said to pure gold, ‘You are my security,’
25 if I have rejoiced over my great wealth,
    the fortune my hands had gained…28 then these also would be sins to be judged, for I would have been unfaithful to God on high.

Therefore, it is not that wealth or poverty is better, but most importantly, man should acknowledge God and be faithful to Him.

Ultimately, contentment is wisdom.

Contentment is not to ask for too much or too little. Importantly, contentment is related to faith. When Agur asked God to “give him only his daily bread”, this means that Agur trusted that God knew just how much he needed, and had faith that God will provide for him in His good time and faithfulness. Now, contentment not only relates to material possessions, but it also extends to other things in life, such as human recognition, talents, opportunities and life circumstances, etc. We can pray in similar way as Agur prayed concerning money, that God does not give us too much or too little praise, lest we grow proud or inferior; or give us too good or bad situations, lest we become complacent or hopeless. When we pray wisely, we can guard ourselves from unnecessary sorrows and temptations.

Dear all, are we willing to pray like Agur too? When a person can be humble, content and trust in God, he will surely win God’s heart. Such a person will receive timely answers and faithful provision from God. He will also be spared from many unnecessary sorrows that come from discontentment. May God help us to cultivate a heart of contentment!