Proverbs 30:7-9 — Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: remove far from me vanity and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

Sometimes I think the chapter of Proverbs credited to humble Agur might be the one that moves me most. These verses, above all, express desires of my heart.
First Agur says “Keep me far away from vanity and deceit”. The ideas of vanity and deceit are internal wickedness and its external expression. “Don’t let me be influenced by evil, and don’t let me behave evilly. In fact, don’t let bad influences come anywhere near me.”
The first of Agur’s requests is, perhaps, not so unusual. The second is different … “Don’t let me have too little.” Perhaps that’s obvious enough. But also, “Don’t let me have too much.” In this modern age, the idea of saying “Please give me my daily bread … and not a morsel more” is an unusual one.
Agur provides very understandable motives for his material desires. Too little might lead him to the sin of theft. Too much might lead him to the sin of ingratitude. Now I don’t know that I would become a thief but I have seen a lot of people, growing wealthy beyond their needs, becoming proud. I have seen them forget to whom they owe their prosperity. I don’t know that I am bold enough to claim that such a thing could never happen to me. I know that “things” sometimes have an unhealthy attraction for me, and I know Jesus’s warning against trying to serve God and wealth.
Agur’s requests have the deepest of underlying reverence for God. On the one hand he fears denying the adequacy of God’s provision and on the other hand he fears denying God the credit for His provision.
In his reverence, Agur acknowledges that God knows best. He knows the truth beautifully expressed by the Reverend Richard Halverson:

In His providence, God knows how much joy and sorrow, how much pleasure and pain, how much prosperity and poverty is proper for His child. He knows the correct balance of sunshine and storm, the precise mixture of darkness and light it takes to perfect a son.

My prayer is that I too may have Agur’s wisdom, and reverence, and trust.