I’m sure many have never considered or been asked this question. Yet, it is one we need to think about. We all glory in something. To glory in something is to take great pride or pleasure in it, to boast about it.
In Tuscaloosa, Alabama, when football season rolls around, many schedule their lives around watching the University of Alabama football team play ball. It is apparent that many glory in their team. It has become a religion to some. Most would not admit that, but their actions say differently. Their talk, their time, and their money are spent on promoting their team. However, as I look at social media, we are not alone. Everyone seems to have their area where they glory in things other than the one who deserves to be bragged about, God himself. Jeremiah 9:23-34 gives us commands that deal with this kind of thinking. God himself tells us what not to glory in.
Jeremiah 9:23-34 “Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.”
The first thing the verse mentions is not to glory in man’s wisdom. We should want the best for our lives, and God’s wisdom is the best. We have such a narrow scope of thinking compared to God that it isn’t worth trusting. In Proverbs 9:10, the writer tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. All knowledge worth having for practical purposes of life is the knowledge of God. Isaiah 55:7-9 teaches us that His ways are not our ways, nor His thoughts our thoughts. We are inadequate at our best. We are limited, but God is infinite in wisdom and knowledge.
Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.”
Isaiah 55:7-9 “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Next, Jeremiah says don’t let “the mighty man glory in his might.” Don’t boast about our own strength. The Hebrew word for might is often used in the Bible to talk about a warrior’s physical strength. In America, there are multiple workout places in every city. Many have personal trainers. They are seeking to get that perfect body that is strong and lean. Now, before you think I am against working out and taking care of your body, I am not. However, when it becomes our focus, and we boast about it, we are wrong. In I Timothy 4:8, Paul reminds us that bodily exercise profits little when compared to the profit of godliness. We should take care of our bodies because it is the temple of God, He dwells within the believer. We should eat right and get proper exercise so that we will have the energy and testimony that will glorify God, not so that we can be proud of how we look. We also need to remember that vanity is a sin, and we all will face a time when our bodies fail.
I Timothy 4:8 “For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.”
I Corinthians 3:16 “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”
The last thing Jeremiah tells us not to boast about is our riches. Riches are relative. Even poor people can boast about their material things. It’s not what you have that produces this attitude, it’s how you use it. Many boast of all the things they do and the things they have, but eventually, those things don’t satisfy, and more things are bought. There is another aspect of putting our hopes and dreams in money or the things it can buy. Things don’t last forever, and when we die, we can’t take them with us. In Luke chapter 12, God calls the man who continued to build bigger and better for his own personal ego a fool. We need to live with the attitude that everything we have is a gift from God, and it is given to us to use for His glory.
Luke 12:20-21 “But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
God makes it clear that we are not to glory in ourselves in any way. However, in Jeremiah 9:24, God says, “But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercises lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.” Glory in knowing Him! How do we know Him? We study His word that is written to us. It teaches all we need to know about God, and how we can know Him on a personal, intimate level. It shows His love for us and prepares us for eternity with Him.
So, did you find any areas you need to work on? Maybe you need to refocus and seek to know Him more.
Excellent