Jeremiah 9:23-24. This is what the Lord says:
“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom
or the strong boast of their strength
or the rich boast of their riches,
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.
For the past several years, the world has been forced to confront a sobering reality: human wisdom, strength, and riches are not reliable foundations for life. Every nation, regardless of power or prosperity, has found itself helpless before disasters, calamities, and crises that no amount of money, technology, or intelligence could prevent. What humanity once trusted has proven fragile and insufficient.
As a result, fear, anxiety, and confusion have filled the minds and hearts of people everywhere. Yet even in this turmoil, many still cannot see the deeper spiritual reality beneath it all—the condition humanity has been trapped in since the beginning of time. The problem is not merely economic, political, or medical. It is spiritual.
Deceived by the devil and shaped by the patterns of the world, people have become lovers of themselves, lovers of money, and lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God (2 Timothy 3:1-5). These things in themselves are not evil, but they have become the standard by which people measure meaning, security, and happiness. When these things fail—as they inevitably do—people are left empty and disoriented.
God created humanity as spiritual beings (Genesis 1:27; 2:7). He alone was meant to be our wisdom, our strength, our riches, and our source of life. Yet Scripture tells us that no one seeks God—not because they do not want answers, but because sin has blinded their hearts and enslaved them under the power of Satan and death. This is the true tragedy of life apart from God.
In Today’s Word, the Lord pleads with His people to open their eyes and return to what truly matters. In the midst of a crisis, God tells us clearly what we are allowed to boast in—and what we must stop boasting about. Wisdom, strength, and wealth cannot save us. Knowing the Lord can.
To know God must be the highest priority of our lives. This means knowing and experiencing the living reality of the Triune God. God the Father continues to speak through His Word and faithfully fulfills it. God the Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, continues to break the power of sin, Satan, and death through His finished work on the cross. God, the Holy Spirit, continues to dwell within believers, guiding, comforting, empowering, and transforming them. This is not theology alone; this is present reality.
Therefore, we must stop fixing our eyes on the chaos of the world and fix them on Jesus—the pioneer and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, despised its shame, and now reigns at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:3). All authority in heaven and on earth belongs to Him, and before His name every knee will bow—whether in heaven, on earth, or under the earth (Philippians 2:9-11).
If we continue to listen to the world and follow its ways, we will remain trapped in confusion, emptiness, and darkness. But when we trust in God, who through His Son has brought order out of chaos, fullness out of emptiness, and light into darkness, our lives are restored.
This is true wisdom: the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding (Proverbs 1:7). To live wisely is to live consciously in God’s presence. This is true strength: the strength that comes from Christ, who lives in us and enables us to endure, overcome, and persevere. And this is true riches: not possessions that fade, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit—the reality of God’s kingdom already at work in our lives (Romans 14:17).
When we boast, let us boast in the Lord. Let us boast in what He has done, what He is doing, and what He has promised to do. God loved us beyond measure and demonstrated that love by giving His one and only Son so that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). This love is unchanging and unstoppable. Nothing—neither life nor death, angels nor demons, the present nor the future—can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39).
Through our lives, God desires to display the incomparable riches of His grace for generations to come. He rules the world with righteousness and judges with perfect justice, yet He remains patient, desiring that all people be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4).
Now is the time to wake up. The hour is late, and the need is great. Let us boast in God’s righteousness and justice. Let us carry His message of reconciliation to a world drowning in fear and confusion.
If you feel trapped, weary, or uncertain, follow the confession of faith made by Habakkuk:
Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights. (Habakkuk 3:17-19)
Even when the visible signs of blessing disappear, stay the course!
Prayer. Father, I choose to boast in You and in what You have done for me. You are my wisdom, my strength, and my treasure. Even when circumstances shake me, I trust that You are lifting me to higher ground. Make my feet like the feet of a deer, and enable me to walk confidently in Your victory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.