Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 546 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

I am Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

I Am Weary O God – Proverbs 30:1-17

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. Today is Day 546 of our trek, and it is Wisdom Wednesday. Every Wednesday along life’s trails, we dig for the nuggets of wisdom that are found within the book of Proverbs. Today we will explore the 1st half of chapter 30.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. In our study of Proverbs, we switch focus from King Solomon who wrote most of Proverbs to a man we know little of who name was Agur. In some translations it indicates that Agur was writing “to Ithiel and Ucal;” these men could have been disciples or friends of Agur, although some Bibles translate the meaning of the two names with the assumption that they do not refer to actual people. Most commentators believe Agur lived in the same era as Solomon. We don’t know much about Agur except what we can glean from this one chapter. This is one of my favorite chapters in Proverbs because of its rich imagery and contrasting statements.

The name Agur comes from a Hebrew word meaning “collector.” Agur and his father Jakeh are only mentioned here in the Bible and are otherwise unknown. From the very first verse, Agur’s talent for relating to the obvious shines through. I am sure that many of us can relate to him from his first statement which is…

I Am Weary, O God

Let’s dig for the nuggets of wisdom today that Agur shares in verses 1-17.

¹ The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh contain this message.

I am weary, O God;

I am weary and worn out, O God.

In today’s ever changing, fast paced society, we have more technology available to us that should make life so much simpler, and yet we are rushing through life at ever-increasing speeds. Nearly everyone seems to be involved in more work and activities than we can possibly fit into our schedules. Our sleep suffers, our diets suffer, and we are weary and worn out. Well, I guess not all that much has changed since Agur wrote these proverbs. We do need to take note and make the needed changes in our lives.

² I am too stupid to be human,

and I lack common sense.

³ I have not mastered human wisdom,

nor do I know the Holy One.

Although probably a highly educated person in a position of authority, Agur finds himself feeling inadequate, especially when it comes to his knowledge and understanding of God, whom he refers to as the Holy One. We should dedicate our lives to learning and understanding God’s precepts.

⁴ Who but God goes up to heaven and comes back down?

Who holds the wind in his fists?

Who wraps up the oceans in his cloak?

Who has created the whole wide world?

What is his name—and his son’s name?

Tell me if you know!

We have made great advances in gaining knowledge of our world and even the universe, but the more we discover, the more evidence we find of what we do not know. There are signs everywhere of an intelligent creator, but society’s lack of acknowledging God as that creator is ever-increasing. God created all things, and God embodied as His son was Jesus Christ.

⁵ Every word of God proves true.

He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.

⁶ Do not add to his words,

or he may rebuke you and expose you as a liar.

God’s Word, through the Bible is true, every word contained in it. He does protect and shield us for eternity. We need to do all that we can to understand it and not add to it.

⁷ O God, I beg two favors from you;

let me have them before I die.

⁸ First, help me never to tell a lie.

Second, give me neither poverty nor riches!

Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.

⁹ 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.

Augur had two simple desires for life, which were to be a person of integrity whose words are truthful and to have enough material things to satisfy his daily needs. So often we ignore these two important concepts. So often we are tempted to lie, cheat, and steal to gain more and more material possessions that will never satisfy us. May we seek to be honest and satisfied with enough to meet our daily needs.

¹⁰ Never slander a worker to the employer,

or the person will curse you, and you will pay for it.

We should never slander another person but be willing to care for and love them. Otherwise, we will suffer the consequences for our misspoken words.

¹¹ Some people curse their father

and do not thank their mother.

¹² They are pure in their own eyes,

but they are filthy and unwashed.

¹³ They look proudly around,

casting disdainful glances.

¹⁴ They have teeth like swords

and fangs like knives.

They devour the poor from the earth

and the needy from among humanity.

Our hearts and minds are the reservoirs of our soul containing the contents of who we truly are. If it is full of corruption and pride, then it will be evident in our actions. No amount of self-justification will make it right. Let us fill this reservoir with that which is good to help others.

¹⁵ The leech has two suckers

that cry out, “More, more!”

There are three things that are never satisfied—

no, four that never say, “Enough!”:

¹⁶ the grave,

the barren womb,

the thirsty desert,

the blazing fire.

Here Agur begins some of his beautiful analogies and descriptions about life. The poetic style is designed for emphasis. The reality is that we are rarely satisfied with what God has given us. We are always crying out for more. Agur describes our lives with four unquenchable desires – the grave who takes the life of everyone, a barren womb who so desperately desires to be filled with life, a desert which drinks all the water that is poured out on it, but desires more, and a blazing fire that will consume everything in its site.

¹⁷ The eye that mocks a father

and despises a mother’s instructions

will be plucked out by ravens of the valley

and eaten by vultures.

We should honor and be respectful to our parents – they gave us life. I realize some may not have come from a great family situation, but we should love our parents for who they are. If they were good, loving, and nurturing parents, replicate their good traits. If they were not, resolve to be a good parent or mentor yourself.

Today on our Wisdom Trail we were able to see a little of the rich imagery of life that is presented by Agur. Next week we will finish this chapter and learn even more. All of the proverbs provide us with wisdom, insight, and understanding on a myriad of relationship and life issues. Regardless of where you are in your faith walk, if the you follow the precepts in Proverbs, your life will be rich and satisfying. Take them and plant them in your heart so that you will reap a harvest of wisdom. I would challenge you to take just one precept that we learn today in Proverbs and commit yourself to applying it to your life.

Tomorrow we will hike another short trail of Wisdom Unplugged where we will discover an inspirational wisdom quote. So encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along with us tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

That will finish our trek for today. If you would like to listen to any of our past treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor and most of all your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek of life together, let us always:

1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
2. Love Unconditionally
3. Listen Intentionally
4. Learn Continuously
5. Lend to others Generously
6. Lead with Integrity
7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you tomorrow!