Jeremiah 9:23-24

New Living Translation

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!

For Meditation

That is all we can boast about—that we know Jesus and understand He is the Supreme King and Sovereign Lord—the only source of our contentment and joy.

Everything else is vanity, as King Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 1:14, a chasing after the wind. How useless could that be?

As Wiersbe comments:

“No amount of education, power, or wealth—three things the world today depends on and boasts about—can guarantee the blessing of God. God doesn’t delight in a nation’s learning, political influence, armies, or gross national product. He delights in a people who practice kindness, justice, and righteousness because they know and fear the Lord. God promises covenant blessings to those who obey Him, not to those who only submit to religious ceremonies.”

Throughout the annals of history, God has consistently displayed His unwavering love for His people, even in the most diverse and challenging circumstances. Consider how He shielded His people, the Jews, in Persia by thwarting the sinister plot of the proud and hateful Haman (Esther 6:6-12; 7:9-10). Despite Israel’s transgressions that led to their exile, God’s steadfast kindness and love for them remained. He dispensed justice by vindicating the innocent and punishing the guilty. In that foreign land, righteousness served as His banner, a constant reminder of how His people should live. His ways and standards should be the norm for His people.

Consider the end of all the tyrants of this world and know that God reigns over His creation to preserve His beloved and humble the proud and arrogant.

In this world marred by sin, we are called to serve this compassionate God. It is imperative, then, that we cast off our reliance on our own wisdom, strength, and wealth, and instead, embrace “Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30).

Let this divine wisdom and humility embrace you and rejoice in your salvation and intimacy with Christ through the indwelling Holy Spirit.

The grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ rest on you. Amen!