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The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. —Isaiah 40:8 There is an “indestructible toughness” to the Bible. It is a blaring contrast to “the incredibly short shelf-life of the ever-changing remedies and treatments and schemes of hope in our day.” So John Piper begins in a sermon on Isaiah 40:8. He goes on to name four eternal realities of the Bible: God, sin, Jesus, and faith. Of Jesus, the central character in history, he writes: Jesus Christ is the Son of God, eternal, without beginning, but with the Father from everlasting to everlasting, truly God. And yet, he was made flesh, that is, became human. Why? Because without a human nature he couldn’t die. But his aim in coming was to die. He lived to die. Why? Why would God send his Son to die? Because God’s heart toward us is not only wrath flowing from his justice, but also mercy flowing from his love. And to satisfy both justice and love, God substituted his Son to die in our place. Jesus said, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). He came to give his life as a ransom to rescue sinners from hell. This is the center of Christianity. God sent his own Son to provide a substitute for all who would be saved from sin. A substitute life, and a substitute death. Jesus Christ lived a perfect life of faith and obedience to God. And he died a totally undeserved, horrific, and obedient death by crucifixion. Therefore, all of us who are saved by him from the wrath of God are saved because our sin is laid on him, and his righteousness is credited to us. “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). “For our sake [God] made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). This is the center and heart of Christianity. This is the deepest need of every human being that no medicine and no therapy will ever touch.

In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. —John 14:2-3 The setting for this week’s Fighter Verse is the upper room on the night that the Lord Jesus was arrested. Trouble was in the air. Jesus was speaking and acting in a way that was disturbing to his disciples. He had washed all their feet including the one he said would betray him. During supper He spoke of His body being broken and His blood being shed. He spoke of soon going away to a place where they could not come. And even though Peter resolved to follow Jesus to the death, the Lord declared that Peter would deny him three times before the night was over. Jesus then gives this instruction in John 14:1, “Let not your hearts be troubled, believe in God, believe also in me,” He continues with these words of assurance that have comforted His followers for generations: "In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also" (John 14:2-3). On the eve of public ridicule and shame, on the eve of horrendous suffering and death, on the eve of the anticipated outpouring of his Father’s wrath, the Lord Jesus turns the attention of His disciples to the joy that is set before Him and ultimately to them. He who had "nowhere to lay his head" on earth (Luke 9:58) has an eternal home in the dwelling place of the King of kings. It is the home of infinite goodness and eternal joy and endless praise to the Lord of lords. It is the place that knows no weeping, no sorrow, no sickness, no death. It is the place where Jesus would soon be exalted at his Father’s right hand "far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named" (Ephesians 1:21). It was "for the joy that was set before him" that Jesus endured the agonies of the cross (Hebrews 12:2). Jesus sets this joy before his disciples, giving them hope in the midst of the disillusionment that was about to befall them and in the suffering they would endure on their way to his Father’s house. It is still true that anticipated future joy with Christ gives enduring grace to His disciples through their present sufferings. Jesus made it plain to His disciples that they could not go with Him (John 13:36), but He was not leaving them without hope. He later warned them that they would soon be weeping (John 16:20). But He told them not to weep without hope. He was on his way to prepare a place for them and to make a way for them to get there. Sin and death were blocking the disciples’ way to the Father’s house. Within 72 hours this blockade would be broken (1 Corinthians 15:56). The way for Peter who was about to deny his Lord, would be opened to the Father. The record of debt would be cancelled and the demands of the law would be satisfied through Jesus Christ (Colossians 2:14). Jesus further assures them that the weeping will come to an end and soon turn to joy (John 16:20). "I will come again! I will take you to myself! You will be with me, where I am!" Later that evening he adds "I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you" (John 16:22). What hope, what comfort! O dear disciple of Jesus, don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God! Believe in Jesus! His Father’s house has plenty of room. If it were not true, Jesus who does not lie, would not have told us so. And Jesus is there, preparing a place for us. He will come again and take us to heaven with Him so that we will be with Him forever and ever. Surely He is coming soon. "Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!" (Revelation 22:20) For Reflection What present trials or suffering threaten to steal your joy? How might focusing on your future with Christ in heaven lessen the weight of present burdens? Ask the Lord to increase your hope in the promise of life everlasting where "there is fullness of joy; at [His] right hand are pleasures forevermore" (Psalm 16:11).

When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you. 23 For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life  —Proverbs 6:22-23 If God-fearing instruction were a coin with two sides, Deuteronomy 6 would be the parent side and Proverbs 6 would be the child side. You may have already noticed some similarities between Proverbs 6:20-23 and Deuteronomy 6:4-7. Parents, be sure of this: our kids will quote us. When they quote us, what will they say? They’ll probably repeat some of the quirky and clever sayings we daily use. That’s a normal part of life. Our interactions with our kids include God-given personality. Otherwise we would sound way too much like Charlie Brown’s teacher. But our kids can’t live by repeating our personality. They need God’s words of light and life. So, parents, let’s get the words of God imbedded deep in our innermost being and then impress them upon our children (Deuteronomy 6:6-7). Young men, be sure of this: God’s words flowing through your parents’ teaching is worth quoting. Christian music artist, Rich Mullins, once said that when Jesus was tempted he started “quotin’ Deuteronomy to the Devil.” God’s word is a faithful companion in temptation, when the immoral woman tries to “capture you with her eyelashes” (Proverbs 6:25). In that moment, the godly instruction passed on from your parents will lead you, watch over you, and talk with you. Those words shine like a billion stadium lights on the path of life (Proverbs 6:23; Psalm 119:105). They show us things for what they really are. We hear the “smooth tongue of the adulteress” as really spewing forth thorny words of death (Proverbs 6:24). And we see her beauty as a mannequin’s shell. Even so, the temptation can be intense. And we are not Jesus. Jesus is our only hope. Unlike all other men, Jesus never sinned in his temptations (Hebrews 4: 15). He overcame every temptation as he lived by the word of God in the power of the Spirit (see Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4). He walked the path of obedience all the way to the cross (Philippians 2:8). His resurrection life is our only hope for teaching and living by godly wisdom, and his sacrificial death brings the forgiveness we need when we don’t measure up. “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:4-5). Jesus is the ultimate word of light and life. For Reflection As a parent, when do you tend to rely more on your own sayings than what God says in his word for instructing your children? As a young person, how are you seeking to live by the godly instruction you have received? Where are the dark areas of temptation that need the “stadium lights” of wise words? In what ways do you need the “light of men” to help you? Ask him now.

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. —John 15:5 In the life of faith, a simple preposition determines the final result: With Jesus, everything is possible. Without Jesus, nothing is possible. Philippians 4:13 says this positively, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” All things. Through Christ. In Jesus, everything is possible. In John 15:5, Jesus states this truth negatively: “Apart from me you can do nothing.” The preposition is “apart”...from Jesus. The result is: nothing, not anything, naught, no single thing. Without Jesus, nothing of value is possible! This is real discipleship—complete dependence on Christ in everything. Our lives should be Christ-sufficient and not self-sufficient. This is the only way to bear fruit as his true disciple. Living in complete dependence on Christ requires great humility on our part. We must daily humble ourselves before him and acknowledge that apart from him we can do nothing. Apart from Christ, we do not have the ability to bear fruit; but he has all temporal and spiritual treasures, and can supply everything and anything from his abundant fullness. May God help us to humble ourselves before him, ask him for help, and see much fruit as we live our lives with Christ, and not apart from him.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer said of discipleship, Follow me, run along behind me! That is all. To follow in his steps is something which is void of all content. It gives us no intelligible programme for a way of life, no goal or ideal to strive after. It is not a cause which human calculations might deem worthy of our devotion, even the devotion of ourselves. . . . The old life is left behind, and completely surrendered. The disciple is dragged out of his relative security into a life of absolute insecurity (that is, in truth, into the absolute security and safety of the fellowship of Jesus), from a life which is observable and calculable (it is, in fact, quite incalculable) into a life where everything is unobservable and fortuitous (that is, into one which is necessary and calculable), out of the realm of finite (which is in truth infinite) into the realm of infinite possibilities (which is the one liberating reality). Again it is no universal law. Rather it is the exact opposite of all legality. It is nothing else than bondage to Jesus Christ alone, completely breaking through every programme, every ideal, every set of laws. No other significance is possible, since Jesus is the only significance. Beside Jesus nothing has any significance. He alone matters. (The Cost of Discipleship, p. 58-59)

He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. —Psalm 23:3-4 The LORD, our Shepherd, frees us from fear and gives us rest in green pastures. When sheep are afraid, they will not lie down since the only defense they have is to run from a predator. But those sheep that belong to the Lord feel secure and confident in Him—so completely sure that they can’t help but lie down and rest in green pastures. His very presence is safety. As the people of His pasture, we can rest in contentment because the Lord is powerful to protect His own. His presence has this peaceful effect on His sheep. In the quieting of our anxiety, in green pastures and beside still waters, He restores our souls. Restoration is needed when the original beauty and function of something has been lost or broken, or has faded. There is a ‘new creation’ beauty in the soul of God’s people that gives Him much pleasure and joy. It is not primarily for us that He restores our souls, although the benefits to us are innumerable, but for His name’s sake and His glory. What needs restoring in our soul? When one comes to faith in Jesus Christ, who is the Great Shepherd of the sheep (Hebrews 13:20-21), that person is made alive in Him and is made a ‘new creation’ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Our souls were dead in sin, but now have been made alive by grace through faith in Him. Even though we are God’s new creation, we are still in the flesh, living in a fallen world that can sometimes tempt us to succumb to old ways of coping; to be fearful or anxious, or seeking fallen comforts. Emotions can bring us low and attempt to rule our souls. The culture is hostile and weighs us down. Opportunities can turn into over-commitments that threaten to pull us out of the ‘paths of righteousness.’ Sin crouches at the door and a cry to the Shepherd wells up in our hearts, “Create in me a clean heart; renew a right spirit within me; restore to me the joy of Your salvation” (Psalm 51). And the Lord hears our bleating cry! He restores our souls. He restores our souls by nourishing us with His truth and filling us again with the living water of His Spirit. In His time, He will take the rod of His promises, His precepts and commands, and prod us to stand up and continue on in the paths of righteousness. It is not a mystery to us what the paths of righteousness demand. The Shepherd has gone before us on these paths—on up to the cross, where He became sin that we might be the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls” (1 Peter 2:24-25 NASB). The Good Shepherd laid down His life for the sheep. And so, He leads us to submit in love to His imputed righteousness, follow Him and journey on for His name’s sake. Even when the path takes us into the valley of the shadow of death, He is with us and our fear is taken away. He has victoriously walked through that valley before us and sympathetically leads us. This is deep, soul-restoring comfort found only in the Lord who is our Shepherd. I love my Shepherd, He shall keep My wandering soul among His sheep; He feeds His flock, He calls their names, And in His bosom bears the lambs. Should death, and hell, and pow’rs unknown, Put all their forms of mischief on, I shall be safe; for Christ displays Salvation in more sovereign ways. Taken from “The Offices of Christ” by Isaac Watts For Reflection What causes unrest in your soul? What remedies can you find in Psalm 23? Remember and think on the times the Lord has restored your soul and comforted you. What Scripture did He give you to keep you in His fold? As we approach a new year, are there spiritual commitments for you to make that would help you follow the Lord’s leading in the paths of righteousness?

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. —Psalm 1:1-2 The text is simple: the blessed man doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked. On the contrary, the blessed man meditates on the law of the LORD day and night. Going Deeper We would short-circuit the point here if we only walk away saying, “I want to be a blessed man so I should read the Bible a lot.” As sensible as that reasoning is, we must go deeper to be true to this psalm. Meditating on the law (or instruction) of the LORD day and night is said somewhere else. Moses commissioned this sort of meditation to Joshua when he became the new leader of Israel (Joshua 1:8). The head of God’s people will be characterized by a delight and understanding of the Word. Going a little further back, one of the stipulations for Israel’s kings in Deuteronomy 17:18-19 is that he be a man of the Word—reading it all the days of his life. The theme of Scripture leading to Psalm 1 suggests the King of Israel as the preeminent model of meditating and delighting upon the Word. Now does the Book of Psalms have anything to say about kings? And if it does, would that tip the scales to make us read Psalm 1 as if it were fundamentally about someone else other than us? Yes to Both Yes: the Psalms have quite a lot to say about the King. Psalm 2 moves right into this powerful depiction of the LORD’s anointed who is both King and Son (Psalm 2:6-7). This theme resounds throughout the entire book as we see over and over God’s kingdom whose dominion will have no borders, and whose leader will be a hoped for Son of David. Yes: this psalm is fundamentally about someone else, not me. The lack of a superscript between Psalms 1 and 2 lead us to see a strategic unity (as well as similar language such as the repetition of “sit”). The blessed man in Psalm 1 is the King of Psalm 2. The King to come and reign over everything will be a virtuous King who meditates on the Word and fulfills all of Israel’s laws concerning the character of kings (Deuteronomy 17:14-20). Psalm 1 Is About Jesus I think Psalm 1 is about the Messiah Jesus. He is the perfect blessed man and if we’re to be blessed, it can’t happen apart from him. The way to be a blessed man is to take refuge in the Blessed Man (Psalm 1:1; 2:12). Our blessedness does not ultimately come from moral refinement, it comes from being united to the One who bore our sins in his body on the tree that we might be dead to sin and alive to God. We ourselves are moved to meditate on the Word of God when we know the man who is God the Word.

And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. —James 1:4-5 What are you asking God for? In August of 2015, our youngest daughter was diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA). She will live with this disease for the rest of her life. Of course, we’ve been asking God to heal her, but we’ve also learned at times simply to ask God for just one pain-free day. Some days are really hard. What do you say to a 13 year old who says, “I just want to be like the other kids; I just want to be able to run and play without getting tired so fast and always being in pain.” When life is hard, and our faith is weak, and we are lacking what we need to persevere in faith, James reminds us to ask God for wisdom (1:5). Wisdom is what we need. In the words of Douglas Moo, divine wisdom “involves biblical insight into God’s purposes and ways.” When we have a biblical perspective of God’s character and purposes so that we understand how He works in this world and in our lives, we will be better able to respond to suffering in faithful and faith-filled ways. That is why James urges us to ask for wisdom—because it is precisely what we need to face the trials and temptations in this life. Ask God for what you lack! But sometimes we lack this necessary wisdom to face trials and persevere faithfully. These are the times when our suffering is so overwhelming that we are tempted to question whether God is either sovereign or good. The good news is that if we lack the wisdom needed to face trials with faith and steadfastness, we can ask God. We should ask God. We must ask God. In the very first chapter of his letter James reminds us that the God we are to ask is not only sovereign, He is also faithful. He does not tempt us to sin; He is good. He doesn’t make fun of us when we ask for wisdom; He is the God who gives generously (1:5). Our good and sovereign God will grant to us the very thing we are lacking, the very thing we need to face suffering well. So, let us ask God for wisdom, believing that He is sovereign, faithful, and good, and that God uses our suffering to make us look more like Jesus (1:4). Do you believe? Ask Him! He is a generous God who delights in giving good gifts to His children in order that we may patiently and faithfully endure to the end. For Reflection What are you asking God for? Have you asked others to join you in praying for these concerns? How are you responding when you feel you lack what you need to endure patiently when life is hard? Is your life marked more by righteousness or unrighteousness, purity or impurity, selfish ambition or gentleness, chaos or peace, vile practices or good fruits (3:14-17)? What does that reveal about the wisdom you are pursuing? What do you do when your trials are so overwhelming that your faith falters? How will meditating on James 1:4-5 change what you are asking God for?

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. —James 1:2-3 My first thought upon reading these verses is that steadfastness had better be worth it. Be joyful in the midst of your pain, because it will give way to steadfastness? Really? In order to understand what James is doing, let’s put three definitions underneath all of this. “Joy” is not glib, naive happiness. The Bible refers to joy as contentment in Christ above all else. “Steadfastness” carries similar connotations. It means to be confidently rooted in Christ; in other words, it means that all of our confidence comes from belonging to him, not depending on our own effort or resources. “Faith” is believing that the promises of God that we cannot yet see or feel as reality will someday come true, because he said so. Now, we can rephrase what James is telling us, and ask how it is possible to live out these words. He is saying, “Seek to be happy in Christ above anything else, and you will find that, even in trials, He will prove Himself and make His promises real to you again.” By implication, then, it will be worth it. All of it will be worth it. I have personally wrestled with these things. I was born with a spinal defect called Spina Bifida, which took away my ability to walk a few years ago. Amidst approximately 20 surgeries and daily inconveniences, the question of “Why?” has arisen in my heart more than once. What’s the point, the end of all this? Ultimately, the answer has always come back, “Jesus is the point.” I am constantly reminded of how he has worked, of all the people I would have never met, and opportunities I would have never had if I hadn’t been given a disability. But this is not some inspirational story about a human being. This is a miraculous story about God. See, the idea that “joy is a choice” is an incomplete truth. I can choose joy in having Spina Bifida, and you can choose joy in your trial, only if God gives our hearts joy. Joy is not simply one in a buffet of virtues, from which we can take at random as we feel the urge. It’s not a light switch we can simply flip on in our minds. This is where faith and steadfastness come in. If God does the miracle of changing our hearts, and if He gives us the gift of faith, we will have the eyes to see where all of our pain is going. To know that whatever suffering we endure really is working for our good. To see that Jesus shows Himself to us more profoundly in our trials, and that this changes everything. To place our confidence in Him; really believing it doesn’t matter if everything is perfect here, because this world is not our home. Our hope is not in the things of this world. James goes on to write that the one without faith will be “like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.” Only if God causes our hearts to remain steadfast will we be able to rest joyfully even when our world is caving in. Only if He does all of these things in our hearts can we “choose joy” in our suffering. Conclusion? Oh, suffering saint, you must pray. I must pray. We must pray together for eyes of faith, hearts of steadfastness. We must seek God in our trials, asking Him for the faith to know He is in the fire with us, and the joy to believe that this is enough. In the end, brothers and sisters, we will see our Savior with unveiled faces. We will know, then, that it was worth it. That He is worth it. For Reflection What is it about trials that makes it so much more difficult to trust in the promises of God? How can you practically preach specific promises to yourself in your trials? How have you seen Christ more clearly in your pain? How has your pain brought you closer to Him? This is a gift of God. How can you use your suffering as a platform for ministry, that is, to reach out to others through your trying circumstances?

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.—John 15:7 This verse is so sweeping in its scope and seems beyond the experience of many of us that it strikes us as unbelievable. We don’t even attempt to cash this check at the bank of heaven. There must be insufficient funds in our account. Whatever we wish will be done for us? Having desired and asked God for so many things that haven’t been done for us, we figure either 1) Jesus is using hyperbole or 2) this promise is only for super-saints who experience a kind of connection with God that we don’t seem to have. Neither is true. Jesus doesn’t exaggerate and he chooses weak, foolish people (1 Corinthians 1:26), people whose faith is small (Matthew 14:31), people just like us, to be his disciples. No, this promise is real and Jesus is making this promise to us. It is not to be passed over with a shrug. It is a check to be grasped, taken to the bank of Heaven where there is no lack of treasure and cashed. Jesus wants us to cash it. But there are two conditions we must meet for the check to be valid. The first is that we must abide in Jesus. Remember the context of the previous six verses. We are to abide in Jesus just as branches abide (are embedded) in a vine. Apart from Jesus we can do nothing (v. 5) and, in fact, we wither. Abiding branches have the sap of the Holy Spirit running through them, which means that the branches receive and share the affections and wishes of the vine. The second condition we must meet is that Jesus’ words must abide in us. What this means is all of Jesus’ words, not just the words in John 15:1-6. We know that because of what Jesus says in verse 10: “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.” Jesus loves us by telling us the truth (John 17:8, 26) and we love him by believing and therefore obeying/living what he says (John 14:15). So by these two conditions—staying in Jesus and having Jesus’ words stay in us—he shapes our desires and our thoughts through the Holy Spirit so that our wishes and his are increasingly the same. You see, it is only natural that a branch should receive exactly what it needs from the vine. The only time our prayers seem to go unanswered are when 1) we don’t share Jesus’ wishes because we aren’t abiding in him (James 4:3) or 2) we don’t share Jesus’ timeline, or 3) we don’t recognize Jesus’ unexpected answers. This is a promise that Jesus wants you to believe and one he loves to fulfill. Because through it we discover that our joy doesn’t spring from Jesus giving us what we want but Jesus being what we want.

Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. —Psalm 55:22. This prayer of David came in the midst of his very real and serious troubles. His anguish came from a close friend who betrayed him. David’s recourse was prayer, not revenge; he left that to God. He trusted God, knowing his prayer would be heard, knowing his God saves and redeems those who humbly turn to Him. They would not be moved or cast down to destruction as the evil ones would be. (See entire Psalm 55 for context.) Peter quoted this verse within 1 Peter 3:6-11 to encourage believers to cast their anxieties on God and trust Him because He cares for them. God promises to sustain His children in the midst of the burdens of life. Christ bore our biggest burden, our sin, on the cross already. He is more than able to handle the burdens and troubles we face every day. But sometimes I feel that the hard, overwhelming troubles of life seem to be easier to cast on the Lord because I have nothing within myself that can manage or navigate those trials. I know that I need Him in times like the loss of a loved one, major health issues, financial and relational sorrows. However, lately, I’ve seen how this promise is valid also for the day-to-day burdens of life we face. Those anxieties are what we are to give to God as well. God loves to care for His children and loves it when we turn to Him for help, even in the mundane, little things that make up our lives. We need to rely on Him rather than try to do things in our own strength. As Corrie Ten Boom said: “Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is too small to be made into a burden.” God has helped me do the work He has called me to do and do it for His glory, both in my vocation and the daily things in family life. When I struggle with technology issues, get frustrated because of misunderstandings in communication, or other minor issues, I’m learning to look to God. I find in Him true help and a strengthening of my trust in Him for the best outcomes. He teaches me that if I try to take things into my own (incapable) hands, or try to fix problems myself, my exasperation will dishonor Him and make things much worse. This practice of trusting God with our burdens seems to be a secret to having peace and joy during big trials and small troubles. God’s comfort and sustaining grace are available to those who turn to Him, casting their worries and cares on Him. He brings good out of each one of them (Romans 8:28). With this promise, there is always hope. Thank You, Lord, for being our faithful burden-bearer —both for our sins and for our troubles. Thank You for Your love and care for us and those whom You’ve given us to care for. Thank You that we can rely on You to sustain us through the trials of life, both big and small. Help us trust You moment by moment, and give You all the glory for the good You constantly do. You are great and worthy of all praise! For Reflection What trials have you had a hard time giving over to God? What might it look like if you saw yourself as God’s child and see Him as your loving Father who longs to help and care for you? Where does pride or self-reliance hinder this kind of vulnerability and trust in God amid the trials of life?

"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, 24 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. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.” —Jeremiah 9:23-24 In our culture, we’re taught from an early age that boasting is bad. The message takes different forms. Little kids are told not to “show off.” In job interviews we learn to strike just the right balance of drawing attention to our achievements and identifying our areas for growth. “I don’t want to come off as boastful,” we say. When we dig a little deeper though, our culture doesn’t really mind boasting at all. In fact, we honor it. Who are the people in our culture who receive the attention? Every single day —in boardrooms and playgrounds, in our houses and the White House—we honor wisdom, and power, and riches. In the way we order our lives, from focusing on school success or career achievements, to what draws our attention on social media, we reinforce the message that life is really about attaining wisdom, power, and riches. Our words say “do not boast!” But our actions and attitudes say “seek boast-worthy things!” That’s where the direction of verse 24 is striking. The Bible doesn’t say “do not boast!” It says, if you want to boast, boast in something more valuable. The Bible is full of examples of wisdom, and power, and even riches being used properly. But the point in this verse is that they cannot—and must not—be the main thing. What matters most is knowing God. If you want a full life, do not seek after wisdom, or power, or riches, they will never fully satisfy you. Seek to understand your Creator. He is the one “who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth.” Boast in knowing Him. Exalt in His character. Rejoice in His justice. As our culture honors, and seeks to emulate, those with wisdom, power, and riches, there is a quiet acknowledgement that all is not well. Our world is broken. Great minds deteriorate. Power is not forever. Riches can be stolen or lost. The answer to that brokenness is only found in Jesus. The wise, strong, King of the universe who became obedient to death on a cross and rose to bring new life. Our God who delights in steadfast love, justice, and righteousness, does not honor the wise, and strong, and wealthy. He honors the weak. His power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Knowing God sets us free from the obsessions of our culture. When, in the words of the psalmist, our “soul makes its boast in the Lord,” it is the humble that hear and are glad (Psalm 34:2). Every day we are assailed by a culture that honors wisdom, power, and riches above all else. In the face of those strong cultural tides, we have the Bible’s answer. As Calvin said of these verses, “All are greatly deceived who think themselves blessed when they are alienated from God.” We must all take hold of these verses. Pray them over our hearts. Pray them for our families and loved ones. Pray them for our churches. May those who know God not be boasters in wisdom, power, and riches, let us cling to Christ and boast in the Lord! For Reflection Are you particularly vulnerable to boast in one of these three areas (wisdom, strength, riches)? What are the messages you are believing that are contrary to the gospel, and where are they coming from? What changes do you need to make to stop honoring those things in your life and to boast in the Lord?