"O God, I beg two favors from you;
let me have them before I die.
First, help me never to tell a lie.
Second, give me neither poverty nor riches!
Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.
For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?”
And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name." (New Living Translation)
I can't help but think how this text defines our country. Out of meager means, starving to death during winter, unable to sustain ourselves, we began a journey to become a nation free of religious persecution. And God did bless. Then growing rich, we have forgotten God. Oh we remember Him when we become desperate at times. When we need some miracle to sustain our comfort, or to keep us further rooted as transient citizens here below where we aren't supposed to feel at home... then we remember Him.
I can't help think of myself. Of how when things are going so well we are content to blow a kiss toward Heaven Blown kisses are but a long distance disconnect from an actual embrace of the Holy and Divine -- we're too busy to actually run toward Him and kiss Him with our own lips as we're fine to do it from more than an arms length. Who needs the disruption of crossing distance to be near Him? We have all we need and then some.
Grant me these two things as well, God. Give me just enough to satisfy my needs so that there's a constant need to be near You so that I don't forget You and say, "Who is the Lord?" And let me not lie and say "All is well with my soul, for I know Him!" when I do not.
