by Larry Ollison, Ph.D.
Jeremiah 9:23-24 says, “Thus says the Lord: Let
not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
but let him who glories glory in this, that he knows and understands me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment
and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight, says the Lord.”
Today, I’d like to take a few minutes to explore this
powerful verse of scripture with you. Before we take a look at what this verse does say, let’s be clear about what it
does not say.
God tells the people who are wise, mighty or wealthy not to
glory in wisdom, might or riches. The Word of God does not say that these things are bad or wrong. It simply says do not glory
in them.
Some people think security comes from natural resources. Many
spend a great deal of their lives seeking knowledge and education. Others spend hour after hour exercising and watching their
diets, seeking to be healthy and strong. Still others exert themselves to extremes, seeking to be wealthy. I’m not only
referring to people of the world, but many Christians are doing the same thing. Can you imagine what the Body of Christ would
be like today, if people sought after the things of God the same way they seek after worldly wisdom, might, and wealth?
It is important for us to understand that these things are
not wrong. They are not bad. God actually wants us to have wisdom, might, wealth, and more!
But what this scripture is saying is that we should not glory
in these things. We as Christians cannot take our security from them. We cannot judge ourselves by our level of earthly wisdom,
might or wealth. The only thing a Christian can use to measure himself is the Word of God.
God tells us that if we are going to glory in anything, then
let us glory in our relationship with Him. The main thing that we should be secure in is our knowledge and understanding of
God. Things can happen to our wisdom, our might or wealth. Situations can sometimes change overnight, and all of these temporal
things can be lost. But through our relationship with God, He restores us.
God wants you to know Him. Of course, He knows who you are.
He knows all about you. But that’s not enough! He also wants you to know HIM! He wants to be known by YOU!
The most important skill that anyone could ever develop is
his or her ability to pray. Wisdom, might, and wealth all have their rightful place in our lives, but there is something more
important.
There are times when our ability to talk to God and our sensitivity
to His voice is the only thing that is going to solve our problem. The highest goal any
human could ever attain is to know God. Look at Moses and David. Moses talked with God face to face. David was a man after
God’s own heart. These men were able to accomplish great feats in their lifetime.
The truest measure of a person’s success is
their level of intimacy with God.
So, take a few moments out of your day today. Get alone with
God. He wants to reveal Himself to you.
Please Visit the Prayer Walls at
Save My Loved Ones Prayer Ministries Int’l
and Pray with Us.
Join me in the Save My Loved Ones Community Room for fellowship!