Good Boasting

"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 KJV)

Most boasting and bragging is displeasing to the Lord. God hates pride and a man's self glorying is an act of pride. The truly meek and humble do not boast about their own abilites.

"Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." (James 4: 13-17 NIV)

The world is so full of evil boasters! It is disgusting to the Lord. They brag on themselves, "toot their own horns," and say to all, "look at me"! Men walk around strutting like a Tom Turkey, cock-sure and highminded. Such did the king of Babylon, Nebuchednezzar. He, in his boastfulness, said:

"All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee." (Daniel 4: 28-31 KJV)

The king was boasting in himself and refusing to give the glory to the Lord, without whom he could have done nothing nor possess anything of value.

"But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." (I Corinthians 1: 30,31 KJV)

"But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth." (II Corinthians 10: 17,18 KJV)

Oh to brag on the Lord! Oh to boast, not in riches, in possessions, and in knowledge of vain things, but in the fact that we know the Lord!

Friend, do you know the Lord? Are you bragging on him? Are you strutting around your castle as did the king of Babylon? Do you glory in the fact that the Lord has revealed himself to you? Do you boast in his goodness and glory or in your own? Do you rob God of his rightful glory in order that you may exalt yourself in your own eyes and the eyes of others?

Christians have seen the glory of the Lord! They realize that they have no reason to brag on themselves. They confess that "every good and perfect gift is from above" (James 1: 17) from the Lord, and therefore have no ground for self glorying.