Two things I ask of thee; deny them not to me before I die: Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full, and deny thee, and says, "Who is the LORD?" or lest I be poor, and steal, and profane the name of my God.  Proverbs 30:7-9

As I type these verses, I am wondering why these are on my mind as I think about stewardship. The center of these words talks about poverty and riches. The request is to grant neither. Riches lead to denial of God and poverty leads to theft and cursing God's name. The request is to provide what is necessary. As I think about what is necessary, it becomes apparent that a lot of what we have is not necessary. The food that is needful for me is God's Word. The poverty that ensues without God's Word encompasses falsehood, lying, profanity and all manner of depravity. Certainly, there is not peace, no kingdom to come.

When I acknowledge that the Word is my food, other things are not as important. What becomes important is supporting my God with money, time and skills to support his work. Whatever riches God has granted must be used to glorify and honor God. Poverty of spirit can overtake our loved ones and neighbors unless those gifted with faith are productive citizens of God's kingdom. The most prized possession of a Christian is the gift of faith. Stewardship, I think, means calling on that faith in times of riches and times of poverty to provide the necessary food for those hungry in spirit.