Scripture Passage:  “Two things have I required of you: 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 you, and say, “Who is the Lord?” Or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.”  Proverbs 30:7-9

“God, I’m asking for two things before I die; don’t refuse me- Banish lies from my lips and liars from my presence.  Give me food to live on, neither too much nor too little.  If I’m too full, I might get independent, saying, “God, who needs him?”  If I’m poor, I might steal and dishonor the name of my God.”  Proverbs 30: 7-9   THE MESSAGE

Dear Friends,

     It’s funny how a man’s prayers change the older he gets.  When I was young, I prayed for wealth, prestige, success, and “stuff.”  Even the “stuff” I want has changed.  Now that I am older I pray for good health, peace of mind, money to pay the few bills I have, and enough to eat.  We are in the process of down-sizing everything and thirty-eight years of accumulation is going in a yard sale.  At one time we needed, or at least wanted it.  Now it is just stuff in the way that will have to be moved if we keep it.  Hobbies and interest have changed and now so will our lifestyle.  I am an avid reader.  If I ever saw a book that I did not love, I don’t remember what it was.  My Bible and doctrine study books are lining the hallway as I write.  My music, history, tractor, trucks, and shop manuals are yet to be collected.  I still have all my children’s books from when they were little and most of their toys.  It is all over whelming because I have to go through them and decide what to keep.  It won’t be much.

     Let us look at what Solomon desired at the end of his life.  He was the wealthiest man of his day.  Scripture says there was none like him before, nor none that would be like him after.  What could a man who has it all possibly want?  You will be surprised. 

     His first request was that God would remove things that do not satisfy and people who are counterfeits.  There are so many things I have purchased down through the years that I thought would make me happy.  They did for a while, but eventually that happiness waned.  The Bible is so true when it says that a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things which he possesses. Luke 12:15    The second part of his first request was that deceitful, lying people be removed from his life or at least from his presence.  The older I get the less tolerance I have for such people.  Just tell the truth and let the “chips fall” where they may. 

     Solomon’s second request was that God would give him just enough.  Enough food and enough money to take care of his needs.  When you are young, you want more than enough.  That is why we pay in so much to retirement plans and annuities.  That is why we go deep into debt for things that we rarely use because we are working so hard to pay for them.  We do not can vegetables like we used to or stock the freezer as we one time did. We plan for the future but have stopped stocking up like we are going to live forever.  We, like Solomon, would like to be comfortable in our dependence on God.  I think we realize how much we need the Lord more than we ever have before.  Patty and I pray we may finish well and honor the name of our God in the process.  “Lord do not deny me these things before I die.”

In Christ,

Pastor Johnny