Jeremiah 9: 23-24
This is what the Lord says: “Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord.
Boasting is not always “in your face” bragging. It can be much more subtle, and I think this is where many of us fail. We tell stories of our pasts which include details meant to impress others, or meant to elevate us somehow into some special space. Or we tell of our present plans or situations, in an effort to paint some sort of an impression. The message I am hearing today is to strive for an “impressive” relationship with God. This is where my efforts should center. What I have or what I have achieved does nothing for my relationship with God, and it certainly does not help me to point others to Him. But my relationship with God changes me for the better, and this should be all I need to make a positive impression on others.
God above, I humbly ask you to draw me closer to you. Allow my relationship with you to be an example to others. Amen
Becky, transforming
Jeremiah 9:23-24 This is what the Lord says: don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches. But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the Lord have spoken! Do I delight the Lord? I often ask myself this. I could boast about all the things I do, but this passage is about boasting about my faith to others. I know I do not do enough of this. I always thought that setting…
Jeremiah 9:23-24
Most boasting, as we understand it, is tedious. Boasting in the Lord can likewise be tedious if done in the fashion of worldly boasting. When we serve God by serving others, expecting nothing in return, and share why we have acted in such a counter-cultural way, this Is boasting in a positive and fruitful way that may just turn someone’s heart to the way of salvation.
Prayer - Lord, please forgive my acts of selfishness and give me a heart for service that boasts of Your great love for all humankind. Amen
TAA
Jeremiah 9:23-24
When we enter this world we arrive as helpless babies, 100% dependent on others. As we get older we move from being dependent to becoming independent. As we become independent, getting to where we are, we become prideful in what we have accomplished. In our self-centered world this seems to be the norm. Maybe our independence is simply a cover up of our insecurities. And in our mind and heart we tell our stories, hoping others might like us. There is a remedy for this. When we recognize our independent, prideful spirit for what it is, sin, we can repent. Take it to Jesus who came to earth and lived the perfect life. He went to t…
Jeremiah 9: 23-24
24 “But let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me; that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord.
I find that in reading this verse I realize that I don’t boast about God as often as I should. God has provided for me a road to salvation through Jesus Christ. I know I won’t stand on a street corner and shout about God. That’s not in my nature, but I could do it quietly through my words and actions. I can also improve on following in Jesus’ footsteps by praying more. I know I have learned…