305. Saturday after Seventh Sunday after Trinity.
Lord, enlighten us,
and establish our hearts
in thy word. Amen.
Proverbs 30, 5-9. Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar. Two things have I required of thee; 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 thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.
❦
Man was created with wisdom in his soul, and therefore it is a man’s duty to be wise. But — we are all become fools; none knows God and his glorious works (Romans 3, 11). “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God.” Who and what is he, the great and eternal God, who created and upholds all things? “Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou canst tell?” No; of my own wisdom I cannot tell; but the word of God has taught me the answer. “Every word of God is pure;” it is a clear glass, in which I see him reflected, and know him insofar as he opens my eyes. It is there I learn that the great almighty God has loved me, and that his Son Jesus Christ became man in order to save us. In this word I have a safe shield against falsehood and death. He, however, who does not believe understands nothing of this, and has no weapon against the devil. — In the word of God only can our soul find wisdom and strength; do not seek elsewhere, neither add anything to his words. Mix no alloy of human doctrine with the heavenly truth of God’s word; this the Lord does not tolerate, as you thereby ruin yourself and others. Pray as did Agur: 1) “Remove far from me vanity and lies. 2) Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me.”
1) Let the word of God govern your thoughts, your views in matters of faith, your purposes and plans, your words and deeds. Let the divine truth be the prop that sustains all your undertakings; think and do everything in humility and the fear of God according to the word of the Lord.
2) Guard against poverty; gather up the fragments, that nothing be lost; live contentedly and frugally, and do not use more than God has given you. Work with zeal and spirit; be industrious like the ant, and wise like the bee. At the same time, beware of desiring riches; for how hardly shall a rich man enter the kingdom of God! The temptations of poverty are great; but those of riches are greater. God shall deliver you from both. His word is a shield unto them that put their trust in him; for it teaches us to know the almighty Father in the Son, our Lord Jesus; and it gives us sonship with him in this world and in the next.
God, teach us to know the purity of thy word, and its power against the cares of this world and of mammon, as well as against all falsehood and every dogma of human invention. We heartily pray thee: Remove far from me vanity and lies. Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me. Amen.*
Thy everlasting truth,
Father, thy ceaseless love,
Sees all thy children’s wants, and knows
What best for each will prove;
And whatsoe’er thou will’st,
Thou dost, O King of kings,
What thy unerring wisdom chose,
Thy power to being brings.
Thou everywhere hast sway,
And all things serve thy might;
Thy every act pure blessing is,
Thy path unsullied light.
When thou arisest, Lord,
What shall thy work withstand?
When all thy children want thou giv’st,
Who, who shall stay thy hand?
[suggested tune: Diademata, TLH 341; listen here]
* Here the head of the family says a short morning or evening prayer in his own words, and closes with the Lord’s Prayer and the Benediction. This is to be done every day. If the stanzas are not sung, they may be read in their proper place before the impromptu petition and the Lord’s Prayer.