The Confession of Agur

 “The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle. The man declares, I am weary, O God; I am weary, O God, and worn out. Surely I am too stupid to be a man.  I have not the understanding of a man. I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.”
Proverbs 30:1-3

Agur can easily get overlooked in the annuls of wisdom literature. If Solomon is front and center, Agur is behind the scenes. If Solomon is mentoring others from the corner office, Agur is doing his coaching from a corner in the office basement. You don't hear a lot of people saying, "I've really benefited by the wisdom of Agur." But here he is. At the end of Proverbs, we find the words of Agur.

And in these verses, it seems like Agur is acknowledging what we all must admit, that life is too much for us. In this fallen world, there is too much for us to do and too much for us to know! Agur’s vulnerable confession is part of the wisdom of this chapter, because wisdom first begins with the honesty and humility of admitting that we desperately need it. Desperately!

I often look back at my teenage years and shake my head at my teenage self. Gosh, I thought I knew everything and what was the result? It kept me from learning what I should have been learning. It begs the question—where am I still "acting like a teenager" and making that mistake today? The irony here is that Agur's confession is honest about his weaknesses and ignorance, which in fact is the very starting point for obtaining real wisdom.

Lord, I make the confession of Agur today. I need help! And where I don't see my need for help, please help. Help me to be honest and humble before you, to deeply own that I desperately need the strength and wisdom that comes from knowing you and your word. Amen.