Boasting sort of seems like it has no good purpose.
\nBut somehow God wired us with the ability, as well as the inclination, to boast. It therefore must have a viable and godly application.<\/p>\n
Jeremiah 9 (in the New International Version) reads this way: I personally prefer the New King James, It poetically morphs \u201cboasting\u201d to \u201cglorying\u201d, and reads this way:<\/p>\n 23 Thus says the Lord: <\/em>Whichever you might choose, these verses in any translation say the same thing: After all, \u201cwhat do we have that we did not receive?\u201d asks Paul (1 Cor 4:7). Jeremiah 9 is rather a tough prophetic chapter \u2013 with the prophet starting off (verse 1) saying \u201cI don\u2019t have sufficient tears to weep for the upcoming troubles of my people\u201d. He then goes into detail regarding the upcoming tough season. Israel, in their stubborn religiosity, in their continuous refusal to hear God and to respond to how He was dealing with them, had provoked God to escalation of His corrective ways and means.<\/p>\n They were plenty religious. But that has never been what God has been looking for. Jeremiah, in fact, was regarded as a party-pooper because he failed to go along with the church\/synagogue philosophy. It was not \u201call good\u201d. Their refusal to repent was soon going to come to a head. Sound familiar? Paul spoke of upcoming times when people would not endure SOUND doctrine, but still wanting SOME doctrine, they’d put before themselves teachers, having itching ears, and would be turned aside to fables. As long as the people of God dig their intellectual, philosophical and spiritual heels in, and determine to do things their own way, embracing \u201crelevant\u201d world-ways instead of God\u2019s ways, they are in for His correction and judgment. He is jealous. He tells us so.<\/p>\n I cannot find a scripture or historical reference pointing to our great God competing in some popularity contest or striving for our approval. He is God. His Word endures forever.<\/p>\n To the point \u2013 Jeremiah 9 again, verse 24: \u201cunderstands (Me)\u201d \u2013 Hebrew is \u201csakal\u201d \u2013 circumspect, wisely skilled and taught, prudent in understanding, thus having good success\u2026.<\/p>\n \u201cknows (Me)\u201d \u2013 Hebrew is \u201cyada\u201d \u2013 implying an intimacy of acquaintance and knowledge and understanding, even to the point of describing Abraham \u201cknowing\u201d Sarah, at which time she bore a child. It runs deep.<\/p>\n So BOTH of the those elements have to work together for successful living particularly in trying times (although, in all times). God’s desire for oneness with us, agreement, precipitates His correction of His people, so that might choose to come into that alignment.<\/p>\n That may war against superficial grace doctrines that sound so good and mean so little, but the reality is God is who He is, and we are invited into that knowing, because He loves us, and because His ways are better than ours. In fact, His ways are life. Ours are death.<\/p>\n Pretending God is a softy has never worked. Nor will it. The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord.<\/p>\n Happily and soberly, we also can boast\/glory\/rejoice in His willingness to be discovered by those who would diligently, biblically, and prayerfully seek Him.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Boasting sort of seems like it has no good purpose. But somehow God wired us with the ability, as well as the inclination, to boast. It therefore must have a viable and godly application. Jeremiah 9 (in the New International … Continue reading
\n23 This is what the Lord says:
\n\u201cLet not the wise boast of their wisdom
\nor the strong boast of their strength
\nor the rich boast of their riches,
\n24 but let the one who boasts boast about this:
\nthat they have the understanding to know me,
\nthat I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,
\njustice and righteousness on earth,
\nfor in these I delight,\u201d
\ndeclares the Lord
\n(Jeremiah 9:23-24 NIV)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n
\n\u201cLet not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
\nLet not the mighty man glory in his might,
\nNor let the rich man glory in his riches;
\n24 But let him who glories glory in this,
\nThat he understands and knows Me,
\nThat I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
\nFor in these I delight,\u201d says the Lord.
\n(Jeremiah 9:23-24 NKJVS)<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nThe issues and accomplishments of life are not what boasting\/glorying is for.<\/p>\n
\nBoth KNOWING and also UNDERSTANDING our great God – who He is and how He operates, is what we ought to be doing cartwheels over, and in which we ought to be finding our security and safety.<\/p>\n
\nThey had plenty of popular doctrines. Synagogues were likely filled with happy people hearing happy messages.<\/p>\n
\n
\n3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;<\/em>
\n 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.<\/em>
\n (2 Timothy 4:3-4 NKJVS)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
\n24 But let him who glories glory in this,
\nThat he understands and knows Me,
\nThat I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
\nFor in these I delight,\u201d says the Lord.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n
\nThe \u201cknowing and understanding\u201d of Jeremiah 9 also reveals the daily not-pending-the-end-of-time (1) lovingkindness, (2) judgment and (3) righteousness, by God, in the earth. All three. Always. Ongoing. In those He delights. \u201cExercising\u201d those things means happening always. Always righteous. Amen. Always lovingly kind. Amen. Always judging. Well, gee. Yes. Always judging \u2013 people, societies, His people in particular:
\n
\n1 Hear this word that the Lord has spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying:<\/em>
\n 2 \u201cYou only have I known of all the families of the earth;<\/em>
\n Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.\u201d<\/em>
\n 3 Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?<\/em>
\n (Amos 3:1-3 NKJVS)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
\nGod is God, and that is a good. His love for us runs deeper than we can imagine. In that love is His mercy, and His righteousness, and His judgment. History has proven these truths.<\/p>\n