He Gets The Glory
He Gets The Glory
Scripture: Jeremiah 9:23–24
“Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.” — Jeremiah 9:23–24
We have been discussing spiritual warfare over the last couple of weeks, and I believe we live in a day when Satan is on the attack more than ever. We see evil, violence, immorality, and wickedness on every hand. The devil is attacking our families, our finances, our workplaces, our schools, and even our churches.
When we think about spiritual warfare, we often focus on the obvious battles: temptation, addictions, immoral thoughts, anxiety, and the struggles of the mind. These are real battles, and we must take them seriously. However, there is another area of spiritual warfare we sometimes overlook: our own pride and the belief that we are strong enough without God.
Satan doesn't always tempt us with something that looks terrible. Sometimes, his greatest weapon is convincing us that we don't need God because we have enough wisdom, strength, money, or ability to manage life on our own.
That is the warning we find in Jeremiah 9:23–24. The people of Judah had placed their confidence in themselves rather than in God. The Lord reminded them that the things people often celebrate are not necessarily the things that matter most to Him.
Let's consider three important truths from these verses.
1. Our Earthly Focus
“Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches.” — Jeremiah 9:23
The Lord identifies three things people are tempted to glory in: wisdom, might, and riches.
We live in a world that places tremendous value on what we know, what we can do, what we own, and whom we know. We are impressed by intelligence, power, success, and financial prosperity. There is nothing inherently wrong with having knowledge, influence, or money. The problem begins when those things become the source of our confidence and cause us to believe we no longer need God.
Think about it. There have always been people in positions of authority. There have always been people with money, and there have always been people recognized for their wisdom and accomplishments. These things are part of life. But Satan knows how to take the very things God has allowed us to have and use them to fill our hearts with pride.
Satan isn't always dangling an addiction in front of us or placing something immoral in our path. Sometimes the temptation is simply this: You have all these things. You are smart enough, strong enough, and successful enough. You don't really need God.
That is a dangerous place to be.
Solomon asked God for wisdom, and God granted his request. Wisdom itself was not the problem. Likewise, money is not the problem. First Timothy 6:10 warns us that “the love of money is the root of all evil.” The issue is not simply possessing something; it is allowing that thing to possess our hearts.
We may say, “I'm educated. I'm strong. I'm successful. I've worked hard for what I have. I can handle this.”
But the truth is that we are never truly independent of God. We need Him every single day.
We must be careful not to let the blessings God gives us become the very things that cause us to forget Him. The devil doesn't care how he causes us to stumble. He simply wants us to fall, fail, and damage our testimony. Sometimes, the greatest danger isn't that we will lose everything we have. It's that we will become so impressed with what we have that we lose sight of the One who gave it to us.
2. The Object of Our Praise
“But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me...” — Jeremiah 9:24
If we cannot ultimately boast in our wisdom, strength, or riches, what should we boast about?
The Lord gives us the answer: knowing Him.
Think about how we talk when we meet someone we haven't seen in a long time. They ask, “What have you been up to?” We begin talking about our work, our accomplishments, our children, our grandchildren, and the things happening in our lives. There is nothing wrong with sharing those things, but we must remember what matters most.
If we are going to brag about anything, we ought to brag about the Lord!
Jeremiah reminds us that our greatest reason for boasting is not what we know about life, but that we know the Lord of life. I don't understand everything that happens in this world. There are things I wish I could change, circumstances I cannot explain, and situations that leave me with more questions than answers. But there is one thing I know: I know Him, and I know He will take care of me.
What a blessing it is to know the Lord personally!
Jesus expressed a similar truth in Luke 10:20:
“Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.”
The disciples had experienced spiritual victories, but Jesus reminded them that their greatest reason for rejoicing was not their power or accomplishments. It was the fact that their names were written in heaven.
We can become so focused on what we accomplish for God that we forget the greatest blessing of all: belonging to Him.
I hope you know tonight that your sins are forgiven and your name is written in heaven. If you know Jesus Christ as your Savior, you have something worth celebrating! Your greatest accomplishment is not something you have done for God. It is the salvation God has provided for you through His Son.
The word glory carries the idea of boasting, celebrating, or making much of something. So, if we are going to make much of anything, let us make much of Jesus. Let us celebrate His goodness, His grace, His mercy, and the privilege of knowing Him.
The world may be impressed by what we have accomplished, but our greatest joy should always be that we belong to Him.
3. The Things That Please God
“...that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.” — Jeremiah 9:24
In verse 23, we see the things people tend to value: wisdom, might, and riches. In verse 24, God identifies the things in which He delights: lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness.
These are the things that should matter most to us because they matter to Him.
Lovingkindness over wisdom.
We may value intelligence, education, and knowledge, but God places tremendous emphasis on lovingkindness. A person can be intelligent, talented, and highly educated and still fail to love people the way God loves them.
Sometimes our knowledge and experience make it difficult to understand people who live differently from us. We understand our own world, but we may struggle to relate to someone else's. God, however, is not limited by our perspective. His lovingkindness reaches people from every background and every walk of life.
Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 13:1:
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.”
We can have tremendous knowledge, impressive abilities, and the words to command a room. But if we do not have love, our accomplishments amount to very little. God is not simply interested in what we know. He is interested in whether His love is reflected in our lives.
Justice over might.
We often want strength and influence because we like being in control. Strength can be used for good or evil, to serve others or to advance our own interests.
But God exercises judgment and justice. He is not swayed by personal preferences, favoritism, or public opinion. He does what is right.
As human beings, we tend to judge according to what we like and whom we like. We can allow our preferences to determine what we consider right. But God calls us to a higher standard. We must learn to see things through the lens of His Word and follow His will rather than simply doing what seems right in our own eyes.
Righteousness over riches.
The world is impressed by possessions. People notice our cars, trucks, boats, homes, and other material things. There is nothing wrong with enjoying the blessings God has given us, but our possessions are not the measure of our worth in His sight.
God looks at the heart.
Proverbs 22:1 says:
“A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.”
And Proverbs 11:4 reminds us:
“Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.”
One day, we will stand before God. The possessions we accumulated, the money we earned, and the accomplishments we celebrated will not replace a life lived in obedience to Him. God is concerned with who we are, not merely what we own.
Jesus taught us in Matthew 6:19–20:
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.”
Should we work hard, have goals, enjoy a vacation, and pursue our dreams? Absolutely! God has given us life, and we should be grateful for the opportunities He provides. There is nothing wrong with enjoying the good things He places in our hands.
But we must never allow the good things of this world to become more important than the God who gave them to us. We must keep our priorities straight and make sure that what matters to God matters to us.
Final Thoughts
Satan is very good at putting the things we consider important in front of us. He knows how to use our desires, accomplishments, and possessions to distract us from what matters most.
We must be careful not to take the glory that belongs to God and place it on ourselves. Our wisdom, strength, and riches are not worthy of the highest praise. Our confidence must not rest in who we are, whom we know, where we go, or what we have.
Instead, let us glory in knowing the Lord. Let us pursue lovingkindness, practice justice, and live in righteousness. Let us measure our lives by what pleases God rather than by what impresses the world.
If we're going to brag about anything, let's brag on Jesus. Let's glory in Him!
Scripture: Jeremiah 9:23–24
“Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.” — Jeremiah 9:23–24
We have been discussing spiritual warfare over the last couple of weeks, and I believe we live in a day when Satan is on the attack more than ever. We see evil, violence, immorality, and wickedness on every hand. The devil is attacking our families, our finances, our workplaces, our schools, and even our churches.
When we think about spiritual warfare, we often focus on the obvious battles: temptation, addictions, immoral thoughts, anxiety, and the struggles of the mind. These are real battles, and we must take them seriously. However, there is another area of spiritual warfare we sometimes overlook: our own pride and the belief that we are strong enough without God.
Satan doesn't always tempt us with something that looks terrible. Sometimes, his greatest weapon is convincing us that we don't need God because we have enough wisdom, strength, money, or ability to manage life on our own.
That is the warning we find in Jeremiah 9:23–24. The people of Judah had placed their confidence in themselves rather than in God. The Lord reminded them that the things people often celebrate are not necessarily the things that matter most to Him.
Let's consider three important truths from these verses.
1. Our Earthly Focus
“Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches.” — Jeremiah 9:23
The Lord identifies three things people are tempted to glory in: wisdom, might, and riches.
We live in a world that places tremendous value on what we know, what we can do, what we own, and whom we know. We are impressed by intelligence, power, success, and financial prosperity. There is nothing inherently wrong with having knowledge, influence, or money. The problem begins when those things become the source of our confidence and cause us to believe we no longer need God.
Think about it. There have always been people in positions of authority. There have always been people with money, and there have always been people recognized for their wisdom and accomplishments. These things are part of life. But Satan knows how to take the very things God has allowed us to have and use them to fill our hearts with pride.
Satan isn't always dangling an addiction in front of us or placing something immoral in our path. Sometimes the temptation is simply this: You have all these things. You are smart enough, strong enough, and successful enough. You don't really need God.
That is a dangerous place to be.
Solomon asked God for wisdom, and God granted his request. Wisdom itself was not the problem. Likewise, money is not the problem. First Timothy 6:10 warns us that “the love of money is the root of all evil.” The issue is not simply possessing something; it is allowing that thing to possess our hearts.
We may say, “I'm educated. I'm strong. I'm successful. I've worked hard for what I have. I can handle this.”
But the truth is that we are never truly independent of God. We need Him every single day.
We must be careful not to let the blessings God gives us become the very things that cause us to forget Him. The devil doesn't care how he causes us to stumble. He simply wants us to fall, fail, and damage our testimony. Sometimes, the greatest danger isn't that we will lose everything we have. It's that we will become so impressed with what we have that we lose sight of the One who gave it to us.
2. The Object of Our Praise
“But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me...” — Jeremiah 9:24
If we cannot ultimately boast in our wisdom, strength, or riches, what should we boast about?
The Lord gives us the answer: knowing Him.
Think about how we talk when we meet someone we haven't seen in a long time. They ask, “What have you been up to?” We begin talking about our work, our accomplishments, our children, our grandchildren, and the things happening in our lives. There is nothing wrong with sharing those things, but we must remember what matters most.
If we are going to brag about anything, we ought to brag about the Lord!
Jeremiah reminds us that our greatest reason for boasting is not what we know about life, but that we know the Lord of life. I don't understand everything that happens in this world. There are things I wish I could change, circumstances I cannot explain, and situations that leave me with more questions than answers. But there is one thing I know: I know Him, and I know He will take care of me.
What a blessing it is to know the Lord personally!
Jesus expressed a similar truth in Luke 10:20:
“Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.”
The disciples had experienced spiritual victories, but Jesus reminded them that their greatest reason for rejoicing was not their power or accomplishments. It was the fact that their names were written in heaven.
We can become so focused on what we accomplish for God that we forget the greatest blessing of all: belonging to Him.
I hope you know tonight that your sins are forgiven and your name is written in heaven. If you know Jesus Christ as your Savior, you have something worth celebrating! Your greatest accomplishment is not something you have done for God. It is the salvation God has provided for you through His Son.
The word glory carries the idea of boasting, celebrating, or making much of something. So, if we are going to make much of anything, let us make much of Jesus. Let us celebrate His goodness, His grace, His mercy, and the privilege of knowing Him.
The world may be impressed by what we have accomplished, but our greatest joy should always be that we belong to Him.
3. The Things That Please God
“...that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.” — Jeremiah 9:24
In verse 23, we see the things people tend to value: wisdom, might, and riches. In verse 24, God identifies the things in which He delights: lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness.
These are the things that should matter most to us because they matter to Him.
Lovingkindness over wisdom.
We may value intelligence, education, and knowledge, but God places tremendous emphasis on lovingkindness. A person can be intelligent, talented, and highly educated and still fail to love people the way God loves them.
Sometimes our knowledge and experience make it difficult to understand people who live differently from us. We understand our own world, but we may struggle to relate to someone else's. God, however, is not limited by our perspective. His lovingkindness reaches people from every background and every walk of life.
Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 13:1:
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.”
We can have tremendous knowledge, impressive abilities, and the words to command a room. But if we do not have love, our accomplishments amount to very little. God is not simply interested in what we know. He is interested in whether His love is reflected in our lives.
Justice over might.
We often want strength and influence because we like being in control. Strength can be used for good or evil, to serve others or to advance our own interests.
But God exercises judgment and justice. He is not swayed by personal preferences, favoritism, or public opinion. He does what is right.
As human beings, we tend to judge according to what we like and whom we like. We can allow our preferences to determine what we consider right. But God calls us to a higher standard. We must learn to see things through the lens of His Word and follow His will rather than simply doing what seems right in our own eyes.
Righteousness over riches.
The world is impressed by possessions. People notice our cars, trucks, boats, homes, and other material things. There is nothing wrong with enjoying the blessings God has given us, but our possessions are not the measure of our worth in His sight.
God looks at the heart.
Proverbs 22:1 says:
“A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.”
And Proverbs 11:4 reminds us:
“Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.”
One day, we will stand before God. The possessions we accumulated, the money we earned, and the accomplishments we celebrated will not replace a life lived in obedience to Him. God is concerned with who we are, not merely what we own.
Jesus taught us in Matthew 6:19–20:
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.”
Should we work hard, have goals, enjoy a vacation, and pursue our dreams? Absolutely! God has given us life, and we should be grateful for the opportunities He provides. There is nothing wrong with enjoying the good things He places in our hands.
But we must never allow the good things of this world to become more important than the God who gave them to us. We must keep our priorities straight and make sure that what matters to God matters to us.
Final Thoughts
Satan is very good at putting the things we consider important in front of us. He knows how to use our desires, accomplishments, and possessions to distract us from what matters most.
We must be careful not to take the glory that belongs to God and place it on ourselves. Our wisdom, strength, and riches are not worthy of the highest praise. Our confidence must not rest in who we are, whom we know, where we go, or what we have.
Instead, let us glory in knowing the Lord. Let us pursue lovingkindness, practice justice, and live in righteousness. Let us measure our lives by what pleases God rather than by what impresses the world.
If we're going to brag about anything, let's brag on Jesus. Let's glory in Him!
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