Prov 30:1 The source of my strength

The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh—an inspired utterance.

This man’s utterance to Ithiel:

“I am weary, God,
    but I can prevail.  (NIV)

Some of the commentaries say that "Agur" is the name of the writer of this chapter, and others note that the name may denote his vocation --- it means collector, and he could have been a scribe; he may have been one who collected sayings, observations and prophecies and wrote them down before they were forgotten.
They also differ in their interpretation of "Ithiel" . . . it may be that Ithiel was the name of one of his students, to whom he dictated this chapter. Or, it could be that he is referring to one of the names of God, since he addresses God by name. Ithiel means "God with me" which is so very similar to Immanuel, "God with us."
So, after consulting and studying, I came down on the side of this interpretation -- I believe this is a man named Agur, who is speaking to his God, Ithiel, or Immanuel. He tells Him something stunning here: "I am weary, but I can prevail."

Wait a minute. Read that again.

Did that hit you like it hit me?
 
That floored me.
How many times do we feel tired? Exhausted? Unable to go any further? Do we feel that we simply. Can. Not. Go. On?
I don't know about you, but it happens often to me. To be quite honest, it has happened a lot lately. So many things happening in life that we become overwhelmed. We try so hard to handle things for ourselves and others that we don't do a very good job of handling anything! Our stress levels rise, our tempers flare, our voice becomes a whine, and Satan sits to the side, looking on with glee.

Agur is saying, "Lord, I'm weary." But in the very next breath he says, "but I can prevail." Not just I can survive; I can get by; I can barely make it. I can prevail!
The very first synonym for "prevail" in the dictionary is "triumph." All out victory. That's the kind of thing we can rejoice about!

Exodus 15:2 The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

Isaiah 41:10  fear not, for I am with you;  be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you,  I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Deuteronomy 31:6  Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.

What is the source of our strength today? We can take comfort and rejoice in the verses above, and this quote may inspire us, as well:

“Those who serve God must serve Him in His own way, and in His strength, or He will never accept their service. That which man doth, unaided by divine strength, God can never own. The mere fruits of the earth He casteth away; He will only reap that corn, the seed of which was sown from heaven, watered by grace, and ripened by the sun of divine love. God will empty out all that thou hast before He will put His own into thee; He will first clean out thy granaries before He will fill them with the finest of the wheat. The river of God is full of water; but not one drop of it flows from earthly springs. God will have no strength used in His battles but the strength which He Himself imparts. Are you mourning over your own weakness? Take courage, for there must be a consciousness of weakness before the Lord will give thee victory. Your emptiness is but the preparation for your being filled, and your casting down is but the making ready for your lifting up.” – Charles Spurgeon