Today's passage encourages us toward honesty and contentment. Removing falsehood and lying is a worthwhile desire: when Proverbs 6.16-19 gave us a list of seven things God hates, two of them dealt with dishonesty. Likewise, contentment--neither excess nor insufficiency--are held up as the mark to which we should aspire for ourselves.

Daily sustenance (asking for what is needed and no more) is what is requested in the Lord's Prayer, as we read back in Luke 11.3. Contentment is also the context in which the often misused verse "I can do all things through Him/Christ who strengthens me" was given; see Philippians 4.10-13 for that context. As today's passage lays out, we can easily become self-focused with too little or too much. We should seek that which is sufficient to keep our focus off ourselves and on God, where it belongs, and to seek honesty in our thoughts, words, and actions.

May the word of God grant us this request for honesty and contentment day by day.

[Proverbs 30.7-9]

7 Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die: 8 Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, 9 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.

[ WHAT ] is this passage saying and what is a key truth or thought that we learn?

+ What are the two things requested in v. 7? [v. 8]

+ When are these things requested? [v. 7]

+ Why does the writer say too much and too little would not be good? [v. 9]

+ Reading between the lines, if the writer gets what is needed, what should his response be? [v. 9]

[ HOW ] is the Lord calling me to action/obedience?

+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?

+ Like the author of today's passage, what should our response be when God gives what we need?

+ Are your desires in line with today's passage? If not, what is the root of your desires? Do these point to sin you need to confess? What step can you take to walk in obedience?

[ WHO ] am I walking with and praying for to discover Jesus?

+ What is my next step?