Which Face of God do you see?

Jeremiah 9:23–24 Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; ²⁴ but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares                                                  the Lord.

This is a tremendous passage! I will return to Philippians after this, let's finish our fast devos as the booklet guides. I have received so many emails and FB messages that have expressed that these devos have helped in this week of fasting, which is the reason I committed my time to doing these.

God instructs us here where we should place our trust! 

Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom

Why would God say this? Knowledge is accessible to anyone...however, the ability to know what it means and how to use it comes only from God Himself! Think of all the brilliant people that think we came from cosmic gas...one cell creature...and then a glorified monkey! Their brains are BIG, but there understanding is dwarfed. The reason is because only God can illumine the fallen mind of man. So if we have wisdom, we need to give credit to Whom credit is due - The Lord!

Let not the mighty man boast of his might

It is important to remember Who really wins the battle. There are a myriad of examples in history and the Scriptures of groups that were far out numbered and out gunned, yet they won the war. Gideon is an example of one thousands of years ago.  Three hundred men against over 120,000! Even in our age is the 7-day war against Israel. Many nations with many weapons against a very small country, yet Israel overwhelmed them in 7 days!  If we are mighty, we need to remember that at the end of the day, it is God that gives the victory.

Let not a rich man boast of his riches

This is a no brainer! Riches are the most unreliable foundation a person can have. Again history has proved this. One day in 1929 you have millions and feel completely secure...the next day the market crashes and you have nothing. Just a few years ago I know of people that bought houses on the east coast for $810,000 and within months... after the "housing bubble popped" the people that bought the homes on the next street...same neighborhood and almost the same homes, with just some of the “extras” inside not there...paid $250,000! I thought, how hard it must be to be a person holding an $810,000 mortgage on a home that is now selling for $250,000! If you are rich, thank God for the blessing, use it for eternity...but don't put your trust in it.

But let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me,

This sounds great, but is it? The previous three items are temporal, they will all fade in eternity...even wisdom, because the wisdom we have now will be nothing to the wisdom we will have when we are Face to Face with Jesus. God is all Knowledge and Wisdom! God is Power! God owns everything! God is Eternity and to know Him is to have access to everything!

That I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord.

What I love about this passage is…I believe it reveals how God views things. Many talk about God’s holiness, justice and righteousness. He is all that…but not ONLY that! Isn’t interesting the first quality mentioned here is God’s lovingkindness. Religiosity has painted the first view of God’s face as a harsh, stern one. The Scriptures do the very opposite. Yes, there will be a Judgment Day; God is Just and Holy. Yet we must keep several things in view about this. First, the Judgment will be based on OUR choices, not God’s. Second, the Judgment is in the light that God sacrificed His own Son to pay the debt for all sin, opening the door of opportunity for all to enter through forgiveness into a relationship with Him. Judgment is based on which door WE choose. Lastly, due to the fact that God is love, even when judgment has come His attitude still reflects His heart.

Ezekiel 18:32  “For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” declares the Lord God. “Therefore, repent and live.”

Ezekiel 33:11 “Say to them, ‘As I live!’ declares the Lord God, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?’

Consider Who our God is…and ENJOY!

Psalm 103:6–18 The Lord performs righteous deeds And judgments for all who are oppressed. ⁷ He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel. ⁸ The Lord is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. ⁹ He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. ¹⁰ He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. ¹¹ For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. ¹² As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. 

¹³ Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. ¹⁴ For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust. ¹⁵ As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. ¹⁶ When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, And its place acknowledges it no longer. ¹⁷ But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children, ¹⁸ To those who keep His covenant And remember His precepts to do them.