Neither Rich Nor Poor

ProverbsTrack 3 of 9

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About this songAgur’s prayer set to song — give me neither poverty nor riches, just daily bread, lest I forget the Lord or quit the race.

Big ideaAgur’s prayer for the middle road — neither poverty nor riches, just daily bread — because too-easy reward makes me forget God, and too-slow reward makes me quit.

Doctrine

Contentment · Providence

Anchor text

Proverbs 30:7–9

Form

Half-time soul

Voices

Agur

Verse 1

When the reward comes too easy
I squander it away,
start believing all the lies
that say I’ve got it made.
But if the prize comes too slowly
my heart just sinks inside —
delayed hope makes me lousy,
and I quit before I try.

Pre-Chorus

I’ve ebbed and flowed,
gone all in and then gone slack,
burned myself out
then laid right back.
But You, O Lord,
You filled the gaps
and kept the whole thing
on the track.

Chorus

If I get it all too easy
I’ll throw it all away,
but I quit before the finish
if I work all day with no pay.
So make me neither rich nor poor,
lest I forget You, forget Your law.
Just give me what I need today,
enough to walk, enough to stay.

Verse 2

When the reward comes too easy
I confuse grace with pride,
start thinking I deserve it
like life was on my side.
But if the prize comes too slowly
I start losing heart —
hope deferred just breaks me down
before I even start.

Pre-Chorus

I’ve chased the rush,
I’ve feared the grind,
wanted proof
before the time.
But You’ve been steady,
kind, and true
when I didn’t know
what else to do.

Chorus

Bridge

Give me daily bread, not a throne,
just enough to pull this plow back home.
Don’t starve the ox that pulls the line,
but don’t let comfort rot my spine.
I’m learning how to pace this race,
trust the work, enjoy the grace.

Final Chorus

If I get it all too easy
I’ll throw it all away,
but I quit before the finish
if I work all day with no pay.
So make me neither rich nor poor,
lest I forget You, forget Your law.
Give me just enough to move along,
’cause I’m an ox — and I’m not that strong.

Outro

Neither rich nor poor,
neither rich nor poor.
Daily bread — just enough.
Daily bread — just enough.

Scripture References

Proverbs 30:7-9
Proverbs 13:12
Matthew 6:11

Study this song

Teaching aids drawn from the song — for personal study or group discussion.

How the song moves

Two failure modes

Too-easy reward, I squander it and feel I’ve “got it made”; too-slow, I lose heart and quit before I try (Proverbs 13:12).

You filled the gaps

Ebbing and flowing, all-in then slack — but the Lord kept the whole thing on the track (Proverbs 16:9).

Agur’s prayer

“Make me neither rich nor poor, lest I forget You, forget Your law” (Proverbs 30:8–9).

The ox and the plow

Give daily bread, not a throne; don’t starve the ox that pulls the line, but don’t let comfort rot the spine (Deuteronomy 25:4; Matthew 6:11).

Key terms & allusions

Agur’s prayer — Proverbs 30:7–9, the only personal prayer in Proverbs: “give me neither poverty nor riches… lest I be full and deny You… or be poor and steal.”
“hope deferred makes the heart sick” — Proverbs 13:12, behind “delayed hope makes me lousy.”
“daily bread” — Matthew 6:11, the Lord’s Prayer petition, woven into Agur’s request for “the food that is needful for me.”
“don’t starve the ox” — Deuteronomy 25:4, “you shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain” — the picture of needing just enough to keep working.
“lest I forget You” — Deuteronomy 8:11–18 — the warning that prosperity quietly breeds forgetfulness of God.

Discussion questions

Agur asks for neither poverty nor riches. Why might both extremes be spiritually dangerous?
The song names two opposite failures — squandering ease and quitting under delay. Which are you more prone to?
What would “enough” actually look like for you — and why is that so hard to name?

For contemplation

Are you asking God for a throne, or for daily bread?
Where has prosperity (or the hope of it) made you forget the Lord?
Where has delayed hope tempted you to quit before the finish?