Make Your Boast in the Lord

²³Thus 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;
²⁴ 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.

We live in a world where people brag about nearly everything. They brag about what they've accomplished. They brag about what they own. They brag about what they're going to do. Sometimes, they even brag about what they haven't done. God gives us the truth about what we are to brag about. We are to brag that we understand and know Him. I don't know about you but bragging about knowing God is the best thing I could ever hope to brag about.

Perhaps, you ask 'why?' I will not give you just one reason but I will give you three reasons why you should brag about understanding and knowing God.

First, knowing God is important because He is the only One who can affect change in our circumstances. It doesn't matter what we’re going through, there is one Person who can change it. That Person is God. He can change situations. He can change hearts. He can change lives. All we have to do is go to Him and let Him know our request. If we want to know how to express ourselves to God, read the prayers of King David in the Psalms. In them, he expressed his despair at the triumph of the wicked. He pled with the Lord for relief, for deliverance. He asked, “Lord, where are you?” “How long, O Lord, will you let the wicked go unpunished?” “Please don’t let my enemies triumph over me.” God heard and God answered.

Second, knowing God is important because He is the only One who can affect purpose in our lives. God is our Creator. As Creator, He designed us for a purpose. Much like a potter creates pottery for a purpose or an inventor invents a device for a purpose. God knows what our purpose is and if we are to learn it, we need to ask Him. He will reveal it to us. God has no reason to keep it secret. Look at Samson, God told Samson's parents what Samson's purpose was before he was born. Samson was to deliver Israel from the hand of the Philistines. God also told Jeremiah the Prophet, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” In short, knowing God can help us find out why we're here--what were we created for.

Third, knowing God is important because He is the only One who can affect salvation for us. God created us to have a relationship with Him. Unfortunately, sin destroyed that relationship. God took the initiative to restore that relationship when He sent His Son Jesus to live for us and to die for us on the Cross of Calvary. He then raised Jesus from the dead to show that Jesus' death was sufficient payment for our sins. Through Jesus Christ, we can be restored—reconciled —to God (2 Corinthians 5: 19). Jesus said that the very definition of eternal life is to know God and Jesus Christ who He had sent (John 17:3).

Here is the wonderful thing: we can know God for ourselves. We don't have to go through an intermediary. Jesus' blood has made it possible for us to go boldly to the throne of Grace (Hebrews 4:16). We cannot even hope to know Oprah or have access to her. Even if we could get some access to her, even with her vast resources there is only so much she can do for you. This is true of any human. President Obama, Queen Elizabeth, Warren Buffett, Rupert Murdoch, all of them are limited in what they can do, even with their vast resources combined, provided you could even contact them. All the money in the world can't heal an incurable disease. All the money in the world can't save your soul. All the money or good words/wishes in the world can't give you true peace.

Only God can do these things. He offers us a relationship with Him. We don't have to go through a personal assistant. We don't have to have an appointment. We don't have to have a big name or know someone who knows someone. Instead, we can just go to God and ask Him to save us.

First, acknowledge you're a sinner. Second, repent of your sin (wrongdoing). Next, acknowledge that you need a Savior--someone to save you from the penalty of your sin (death). Then go to God and ask Him to save you, to forgive you. He will do so and you can begin a new, wonderful relationship with Him.

You then can make your boast that YOU understand and know the Lord.