Devotions

There’s one thing to Brag About

There are those who are ever learning but never coming to the knowledge of truth.  Do you know anyone like that?  You and I live in a remarkable age.  We have literally at our fingertips, access to libraries of information.  Surfing the world wide web we can search to our heart’s content to know more and more.  I asked what I thought was a simple question to my grandsons and the middle child said – “Uh Poppy – it’s called Google.”  Our age is the most educated in history, but education apart from a knowledge of God is meaningless.  Ted Bundy had a law degree, and by all accounts was considered brilliant.  Ted Kyczynski was a Harvard graduate and a math professor at Berkely.  But education and knowledge did not keep these two men from becoming mass murderers.

• Jeremiah 9:23 – Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, or a strong man boast of his strength.

Atomic scientist now tell us that we have enough atomic energy to kill everyone on earth 20 times.  Isn’t that comforting.  I always figured once would be enough.  And has all of that power produced peace?  No, it has only produced more terrorism, violence, and international hatred that has us looking over our shoulder for that mushroom cloud that will end it all.  Now I understand the leverage that a show of strength can bring.  And I’m all for strength militarily and otherwise.  I think some people will only ever respond to strength when they will not respond to anything else.  But listen to what Jeremiah said in the end of the verse we just referenced.  

• Jeremiah 9: 23 – But let him who boasts boast about this; that he understand and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight.

That is incredible insight for those of us who may feel like our security lies in our knowledge, or our power, or our wealth.  No – apart from knowing God those things are meaningless.  According to the prophet they aren’t even things to boast about.  But knowing God – well that’s the only thing worth boasting about.  Hey Church “I know God” – yeah I’m bragging – how about you?