When Enough is Enough
Follows the message Enough to Live, More to Give from the Generosity series
In Proverbs 30, Agur asks God for neither poverty nor riches, and his real concern is not the stuff. He wants to stay close to God and honor His name, whether he has too little or too much. Enough becomes enough when you trust El Shaddai, the God of all might, as your source, and see your job, your paycheck, and even your health as channels He supplies through.
Key takeaways
- El Shaddai means God Almighty, and the name also carries the picture of a nurturing parent who supplies a child's needs.
- Agur feared losing God's presence and dishonoring His name more than having too little or too much.
- Your job, the market, and your own strength are channels; God is the source.
What does El Shaddai mean?
The weekend message at Calvary Church of Naperville centered on El Shaddai, the God of more than enough. The simplest translation is God Almighty, but on Beyond Sunday the host offered a fuller one: the God of all might, with no lack of power or resource. The name's roots also carry a mothering picture of a God who cares for His children and supplies their needs.
Karen Carter, Calvary's Next Steps director, heard that tenderness in Psalm 91:4: "He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge." As she put it, "While God is all-powerful and has all resource and is so transcendent, he's right here with us." His supply is unlimited, and so is its availability to you.
Why would anyone pray for neither poverty nor riches?
Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the Lord?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.
Proverbs 30:8 to 9
Few of us pray like this. Agur needed his needs met, but not in a way that made him forget he needed God. And he knew that under pressure he might take things into his own hands and act out of character.
"His concern is not the stuff," the host said. "Neither the lack of it nor the abundance of it." His concern is living in God's presence and honoring God's name. David prayed the same way: "Do not cast me from your presence" (Psalm 51:11).
Karen said making God's presence the priority would change everything: where our time goes, what we think about, and how we use the resources we steward for God.
Is your job your source or a channel?
Pastor Marty Sloan used a pitcher and a hose to show the difference. A pitcher holds a little in reserve. A hose traces back through the spigot and the city's water line to rain and ground water God supplies. "You may come through your local utility," the host said, "but God is supplying the water."
We mistake plenty of pitchers for the source. "My job is not my supply," the host said. "My job is the channel through which the supply of God is flowing to me." The same goes for the market, the government, and even the church. "Church is where I get fed," he said. "But what's feeding that church?"
But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.
Deuteronomy 8:18
Karen pointed to that verse as the mindset shift: God owns it all, and we are stewards. If the job goes away or your strength fades, the source has not changed.
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19
How do you stop being afraid of not having enough?
Karen noticed that when the Bible says not to be afraid, it usually adds the reason: because I am with you. God often provides in ways we don't expect, just as the Messiah looked different from what people were looking for, and many missed Him. So she prays, "Lord, don't let me miss you."
In Malachi, when God called Israel to return, the tithe was where they could start. "But the tithe was never the point," the host said. "The heart was the point." In Christ, God came near as Emmanuel, God with us, and since He did not spare His own Son (Romans 8:32), we can trust Him with every lesser need.
Try this week
- Pray Agur's prayer from Proverbs 30:8 to 9 each morning.
- Name the pitchers you lean on most, and thank God as the source behind each one.
Pray
El Shaddai, You are the God of all might, and You are near. Give me what I need, and keep me from forgetting You in plenty or dishonoring You under pressure. Open my eyes to the ways You are providing. Amen.
Common questions
What does El Shaddai mean?
El Shaddai is usually translated God Almighty, or the God of all might. The name also carries the picture of a nurturing parent who supplies a child's needs.
Why did Agur pray for neither poverty nor riches?
In Proverbs 30:8 to 9, Agur worries that too much could lead him to forget God and too little could push him to steal and dishonor God's name. His concern was staying close to God.
Is my job my source of provision?
Your job is a channel God uses to supply your needs. Deuteronomy 8:18 says God gives the ability to produce wealth, so when a job, a market, or your health changes, God is still your provider.
Your next step
Read the message this conversation builds on, Enough to Live, More to Give. If a job loss or a diagnosis has you worried about enough, our care team is here for you. To keep growing, find your next step at Calvary.