Thus says the Lord, “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom. Let not the mighty man boast in his might. Let not the rich man boast in his riches. But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me. That I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice and righteousness in the earth. From these things I delight,” declares the Lord.
– Jeremiah 9:23–24
Can I just encourage you to memorize these two verses, to hide these verses in your heart? Let me just say it again, just to soak it in and then to pray very simply and directly, according to it. Thus says the Lord. And just to help you memorize go from wisdom to might to riches. “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom. Let not the mighty man boast in his might. Let not the rich man boast in his riches.” Don’t boast in your wisdom. Don’t boast in your might. Don’t boast in your riches, and anyone else’s wisdom or might or riches for that matter. Let him who boasts boast in this one thing, that he understands and knows me.
Jeremiah 9:23–24 Reminds Us What to Boast In
God says, this is your boast in your life, boast in one thing that you know and understand God. The Lord who practices steadfast love, justice and righteousness in the earth. Live to boast in him and knowing and understanding him. Knowing that he delights in these things, steadfast love, justice and righteousness. You want your life to count in this world for what matters? Then live for this one thing.
God help us. I pray over my life. I pray over every single person listening to this right now. We pray together. Help us not to boast in anything in this world, in anything we have apart from you. Apart from understanding and knowing you. And God, we pray for that in each of our lives. Help us to understand you more, to know you more.
Pursuing the Knowledge and Love of God
We say it together today, we want to understand and know you more. It’s the one thing we want, and in Psalm 27 kind of way. One thing we ask, one thing we seek, to dwell in your house all the days of our life. To gaze upon you and all of your beauty. This is the one thing we want God to know you, to see you, to understand you. God make this the central pursuit of our lives, you. God make this the central pursuit of our lives knowing and understanding you, and your steadfast love and your justice, and your righteousness that you are practicing in the earth. Knowing you delight in those things that we might delight in these things.
As we know and understand you, that we might delight in steadfast love and justice and righteousness. And that we might work to spread your steadfast love, to do justice, and to live according to your righteousness. God, may Jeremiah 9:23–24, mark our lives, that we don’t boast in wisdom, might, riches or anything else in this world. But that we boast in knowing you. All made possible because of what you’ve done on the cross and the resurrection Jesus, for us. We prayed Jeremiah 9:23–24 in your name. Amen.
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder and Chairman of Radical, an organization that helps people follow Jesus and make him known in their neighborhood and all nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, and Don’t Hold Back.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
