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By Who’s Hands?

Jer. 9:23-24

9-20-2009

 

Jer 9:23  The LORD says: Don't brag about your wisdom or strength or wealth. 24  If you feel you must brag, then have enough sense to brag about worshiping me, the LORD. What I like best is showing kindness, justice, and mercy to everyone on earth.

When you look at the world around you, the world you put your hand to making, to what or to whom do you give the credit, the praise, the glory or the honor? Does luck get the credit? I can not think of one bible reference to luck although Solomon says that time and chance happen to all people.

          So where does your strength or your smarts and know how come from? The gene pool? What about all the fine things you have accumulated around you? Just lucky or through shrewd dealings, an exercise in wisdom? It is true we live in a land of opportunity and many have had reasonable success in gain but who gets the credit?

          Job was a man of great wealth and renown. At the end of his suffering God asks him, “Were you there when I laid the earths foundation….?” The point is this, what have we got that we could think to stand in competition with God.  When God’s strength and wisdom and wealth is weighed against ours, who wins?

          Paul agrees with Jeremiah that boasting is best left to the Lord.     (1Cor.1:31; 2Cor.10:17-18)  I like what Jeremiah adds, If we must boast, boast about our understanding and knowing the Lord. (Jer.9:24)  So do you need something to brag about? Here is some things your Lord and God is worth praising for.

#1 You have always been God. (Psl.90:2) 

#2 You created with wisdom and purpose. (Psl.104:19)   #3  What you created inspires awe. (Psl.104:26) 

#4 The worlds existence and ours are due to Him. (1Cor.8:6) (see also Col.1:16-17)

When God created He started with nothing, when I create I have to borrow from Him and what He has already caused to exist.  It is true, God alone is Awesome.

          Some scriptures worth taking to heart, for it is there that we find strength, wisdom and wealth.

EX 15:2 The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him.

 

PR 1:7 The  fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,

    But  fools n despise wisdom and discipline.

 

Deut.8:18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.

 

Here is something good for us to know; know what pleases our God! What does He take pleasure in? What makes Him happy? Paul tells us we should seek to know this. (Eph.5:8) What God Likes are kindness, justice, and mercy. (Jer. 9:24)

          It would be good for all of us to learn better how to please our Lord by learning what He takes pleasure in and doing those things with all our might.  (see also James 1:5, 3:17)