Jeremiah 9:23-24

23 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;
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.
Jeremiah 9:23-24 NKJV

We can think we have something that makes us somebody. So many people glory in their brains and lead empty lives. Solomon was given wisdom by God and when he came to glory in himself, he became corrupt and wicked. Many glory in their muscles and athletic ability and lead empty lives. Samson was given great physical strength by God, and he gloried in his strength and lost everything due to his weak character. Many glory in their riches and lead empty lives. The young man of Matthew 19 was given great wealth by God, and when he gloried in his riches he went away sorrowful, still grasping his money, but empty in his soul. The people of this earth glory in their might and power and wisdom and riches. God says that instead of the earthly riches and might and wisdom, we should glory in our relationship with Him. When we see and know and understand God and his character, and become a friend of God as Abram did, then we can be happy with His love and care for us. God exercises lovingkindness. He wants good things for each and blesses us with the little, and sometimes great joys, in our lives. He gives us salvation and peace in a turbulent world. He gives mercy and forgiveness to us sinners, frees us from the darkness of our hearts with His light, and sets our feet on the paths of life. He guides us with His words to truth and greater understandings of Himself. God is a God of judgment. Evil and lies are not allowed to be eternal. The God who is able to see all and know all will judge each of us and reward and punish each of us according to our acceptance of His gift of life or our denial of Him. God is righteous, He is fair. He deals mercifully with us, but each person has the same opportunities to step closer to God or to move away from Him. When we see the results and know all the facts, each will agree that God has acted righteously in His dealings with us. God delights in lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness. Evil and wickedness and sin and oppression and hatred of good and love of might, riches, and wisdom will be burned in the cleansing fire of God's love. When the second chances and the third chances and all the other chances He gives us in His love are rejected, God will restore the earth to it's original creation state and in fairness reward and punish each of us. Men may make mistakes in our judgments, because we can be led astray by our wisdom, might, and riches. God, however, has all wisdom and all might and all riches and is not swayed from being righteous and loving, because His character is one of love. He delights to do right and He delights to give good gifts. Each of us can choose to understand and know Him, and He is faithful to allow us to come close to Him.

Lord,
Help me today to understand and know You. Help me to see your lovingkindness and judgment and righteousness on this earth and in my life. Lift my eyes from the darkness of my mind and fill me with Your light, so that I may reflect Your love to those around me. Heal me and forgive me. thank You for Your blessings of life. Help me to share those blessings with others that you put in my path.