Day 226 - Jeremiah 4-13

ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 226 - Jeremiah 4-13 (How to Get God to Delight in You)
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       ^"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 understands and knows Me, 
        That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. 
        For in these I delight," says the LORD."
        (Jeremiah 9:23-24)

If I were to randomly ask ten people from the street which person they admired most, I would guess that eight or nine out of the ten would name either a famous athlete or celebrity or a wealthy businessman. And if I were to ask how many of those famous, mighty and rich people glory in God instead of their powers, I would guess that none of them would say that they glory in God and in knowing Him.  Rather, I think they would each boast about their own prowess and how they alone (and maybe with some help from other people) are responsible for their success.

I am not saying that there is no celebrity or powerful person today who glories in God instead of their own powers - I can name one or two who do.  These are those who take the words of our text above to heart and glory in knowing God rather than in themselves.  They have resolved in their hearts and minds that God's delight and pleasure is far more important and to be desired than riches or influence or fame.

God says that He delights in those who glory in knowing and understanding Him.  James, the half-brother of the Lord Jesus and author of the New Testament book bearing his name, had all the reasons to glory in his privileged position but he knew too well that to do so would be a horrible mistake.  James talked about this very thing when he wrote, "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble (James 4:6)."  Had James gloried in himself we would have only twenty-six instead of twenty-seven books of the New Testament.

There is one fundamental difference between a person who works in his own strength and the person who does everything in dependence on God - the person who completely depends on the Holy Spirit for everything naturally gives glory to God for all of his accomplishments whereas the person who does everything in his own strength claims all the glory for himself.  I try to live my life in complete dependence on God because I want to glory only in Him so that He can take pleasure in me.