There is one word that is spoken less and less by most people today, and that is the word enough. Many people are working harder, chasing more, yet their hearts still feel lacking. The more one has, the greater the anxiety to hold on to it. In the midst of this reality, Agur's prayer in Proverbs 30:7-9 presents a different perspective. He does not ask for abundant wealth, but instead pleads that his life not fall on the two extremes of poverty and wealth.
The character Agur b. Jake was probably from the region of Masa, one of the descendants of Ishmael (Genesis 25:13-16). Interestingly, these words of wisdom from outside Israel are collected in the Book of Proverbs. This shows that Israel's wisdom tradition has an openness to recognise true wisdom, no matter where it comes from, as long as it leads people to the fear of the Lord.
In his prayer, Agur made two simple yet profound requests. Firstly, he asked to be kept away from deceit and lies, a desire to live in honesty before God. Secondly, he asked not to live in poverty or wealth. He only asked for “the food that is my portion,” enough to get through each day. Agur realised that both ends of life can shake the human heart: wealth can foster pride to the point of forgetting God, while poverty can plunge people into despair and transgression.
The pressures of deprivation often consume people's attention and mental energy, while the abundance of choices can create new anxieties. In the midst of this tug-of-war, the courage to say enough opens up space for people to direct their minds and hearts to things of real value. This realisation is starting to be seen in the various ways people seek the meaning of life today. Not a few people choose a simpler way of life. The minimalist movement, for example, is not just about reducing the number of items owned, but getting rid of what is unnecessary so that life is re-directed to the essential. It is in this light that Agur's prayer reminds us that the most precious thing is not how much we have, but the life that keeps and honours God's name.
Friends of the Bible, today's devotional invites us to ask an honest question: if God gave us the opportunity to make two requests today, would we dare to ask for enough life? Perhaps that is where the true blessing lies: a peace of heart that is not ruled by the desire for more possessions or the fear of lack. The courage to say "enough" is not a sign of lack of ambition, but rather a sign of maturity of faith. The person who is able to say enough has learned to put possessions in their place, and to put God at the centre of his life. When our hearts are no longer ruled by the desire to always have more, we are freer to be grateful, more sensitive to the needs of others, and calmer to live the days that God has entrusted to us.
