“This is what the Lord says: ‘Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the Lord.” – Jeremiah 9:23-24
Jeremiah 9:23-24 are two incredible verses of Scripture. They can stand alone and are often quoted alone. However, I think it is important to remember that when these words were originally written, they were spoken to a people who had rejected the Word of God.
This was a nation that put their hope, their trust, and their confidence in something other than God. And when you think about them on that day, you can’t help but think about us on this day. What about us? Where do we put our trust? Our confidence? What is the source of our strength?
We need to be reminded that our strength does not come from ourselves, it does not come from the brain trust in Washington, D.C. Our strength is not in Wall Street, or in the stock market, or in the economy. Our strength does not lie in the cleverness of our politicians or in the fact that we have nuclear weapons.
Our strength comes from the Lord. Nehemiah once said, “Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. Exodus 15:2 reminds us, “The Lord is my strength and my song; He has given me victory.”
What is your source of strength? The answer is not what, but WHO. If you want the solution to every problem you will ever have, then your answer is Jesus. If you rely on your own strength or even the strength of others, you will be let down. You will fail and they will fail. But God never will. Make Him the source of your strength from now on.