Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the LORD?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.
Proverbs 30:8–9, ESV
I know I have been guilty in the past when I would hear the high jackpot for the lottery and ponder what that would mean for my family and ministry. Yet, I have never won, and I can not remember the last time I purchased a ticket. These ponderings, I don’t believe, are abnormal, and that is why God speaks about our desire for riches and gain. Solomon prayed for wisdom from God, and he was blessed with riches and fame. Sadly, it is revealed in the word how far his heart moved from God near the end of his life. John Wesley, in his long life, I have been told, lamented how he saw a generation in need come to an abiding faith in Christ, raise children in the faith of Christ and achieve a very comfortable life, then raise children that were so comfortable that they no longer had a need for Christ. God isn’t against wealth, nor is He against riches. The issue is the idolatry of these things, whether one is rich or poor. If we associate all that we have with the providence of God, we may always see how He provides what we need. The contentment of our souls lies in Christ and Christ alone. This is the point. If we seek Him in all things, we find Him there awaiting us with a table set before us. We may not have all that our heart desires, and the food may not be all the savory things we wish to eat, but we can know contentment and peace in Christ’s love for us as well as the thanksgiving of knowing that He has provided. Lack creates a sense of discontent, and abundance can create a sense of entitlement, yet in the providence of our Lord, there is satisfaction in knowing that everything we have has been given by Him and Him alone. In Christ, when central to our lives, replaces all want and fills us with peace. Setting Him as the center of what we desire creates contentment and satisfaction.
Let us pray. I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son, that you have kept me this night from all harm and danger, and I ask you to protect me this day also from sin and every evil, that in all I do today, I may please you. For into your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all that is mine. Let your holy angel watch over me, that the wicked foe have no power over me. Amen.