Good Morning!
Proverbs 30:8a; “Remove
far from me falsehood and lying”
This is a portion of what is often
referred to as “The Prayer of Agur.” He is one of the many people who make a
brief appearance in the Bible then fade away into oblivion. We often know very
little about these characters, they make the Bible, but the sands of time are
cruel to them, and we lose them to the ages. Some only get a line or two but
here Agur gets an entire chapter in the Book of Proverbs.
Agur must have been quite a
character. He claims no wisdom, seems to imply he just collects things (maybe
wise sayings?). He seems to be a street wise man with much insight into the
real world where he makes his living, not in a palace or a temple but real work
that requires skill, a keen eye, a sharp mind, and a quick wit. We are going to look at this short two
petition prayer over a couple of days and see what Agur has to ask God to give him.
“Remove far from me falsehood
and lying.” That seems like an appropriate petition. The world is full of
deceit. The devil is called “the father of all lies” and he attempts to deceive
us at every turn. As we listen to the news, it seems more and more prevalent.
Who do you believe, who do you listen to, who do you trust? It seems to get harder
and harder every moment. So Agur prays that God will protect him from the lies “deliver
us from evil” seems to be very needful and desirable. We seek the truth and
here we pray that we may hear, and know, the truth. But Agur goes further than
just wanting to hear the truth. Agur wants to live the truth.
Agur does not want to hear
lies, but he also does not want to spread them. He does not want to be led down
the wrong path, but he does not want to lead others into falsehoods either.
This can be intentionally or accidently. Think of a juicy piece of gossip that
you just have to share. You trust the person who told you the story, but if it
is wrong, it is still a lie and someone who trusts you will believe it and the
path of falsehood and deception is continued. Agur’s prayer is one for truth, both
giving and receiving. In this petition, we are asking for truth because without
truth, the is no basis for our statements or beliefs. Without truth, the base
upon which we build our lives, our families, cities, and nations crumble and
fall away.
It is vital that we look to
Scripture for God’s direction towards truth. It is important to know that while
the world and the devil will always try to destroy us with lies, God seeks to
build us with his truth. The truth of our salvation through Jesus, the truth of
our having eternal life in his kingdom, the truth of our being able to face the
world and its lies because we know truth, we know Jesus. So, pray and pray
often. Pray for the many things you need but do not forget to pray that God
will remove all falsehoods and lies from your path, today and every day.
Gracious Father, remove far from me falsehood and lying. Keep
me on the path of your righteousness and truth that I may speak of your grace, love,
and mercy and that I may live as your faithful servant. In the precious name of
Jesus we pray, amen.
God’s Peace,
Pastor Bret
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