Just Enough

Scripture:

Prov. 30:7      ¶ Two things I ask of you;
        do not deny them to me before I die:
Prov. 30:8     Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
        give me neither poverty nor riches;
        feed me with the food that I need,
Prov. 30:9     or I shall be full, and deny you,
        and say, “Who is the LORD?”
    or I shall be poor, and steal,
        and profane the name of my God.

Observation:

The writer of the proverb understood that having too much or too little could be a strain on someone’s life.  The prayer was for a balance in life.  First of all, to be a person of integrity, not lying or cheating in any way.  Second, the prayer is for “neither poverty nor riches,” but a request for daily bread — just what is needed. 

The writer understood the consequences of too much, and not enough.  Too much meant that the individual would not need to trust in God.  Not enough left the person open to temptation and rejection of God.  It seems that just enough was the sweet spot of true balance.

Application:

When Jesus taught the disciples to pray, “give us this day our daily bread,” he was teaching this principle of just enough.  It’s more than just enough, it is truly about having dependence upon God every single day and that is ultimately the place in which we want to find ourselves. 

It is in the difficult times of life that we begin to learn that Jesus is enough.  He is the one who provides exactly what we need at the moment of our need.  When the world and those around us cannot provide for us emotionally, physically and spiritually we begin to realize that Jesus is enough. 

When people let us down; Jesus is enough. 

When we lose our job; Jesus is enough. 

When we get that bad news; Jesus is enough. 

We must come to that place, just as the writer of the Proverb, that what is provided is “just enough.” In this way we will develop a dependence on Jesus, recognizing that he gives us just enough for each and every single day. 

What we need today is “just enough" -- not more, not less!

Prayer:

Lord, please give us this day our daily bread and may we be grateful for your provision.  Amen.