If someone asked you to name the one thing in your life you would never want to lose, what would you say? Most of us would reach for something we have earned, achieved, or built. God answers that question for us, and His answer is not what we expect.
“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
Look at the three things God names, because they are the very things you and I quietly count on. The wisdom is the know-how you have worked hard to gain. The might is the strength to handle whatever comes, the one everyone leans on. The riches are the money in the account that helps you sleep at night. These are not the dreams of kings only. They are what an ordinary believer reaches for every week.
God is not despising any of them. They are gifts, and they can serve Him well. But He is warning us not to build our lives on them, because the day comes when each one lets us down. The sharp mind dims with age. The strong body weakens and fails in time. The savings that took years to gather can vanish in a single emergency. Lean your whole weight on these, and sooner or later you will feel them give way.
So out of all the things a believer might point to and say, “This is my glory,” God lifts up only one: that you know Him.
He could have named obedience, or service, or sacrifice. Instead He points to this one thing, because everything else in the Christian life grows out of it. A person who truly knows God will obey, will serve, will stand. A person who does not know Him has nothing solid underneath any of it.
And this is not reserved for pastors, scholars, or believers far along in the faith. It is for you on an ordinary day. It is what steadies you when the bills are due and the money is short, when a coworker is rewarded for cutting corners, when you are alone and tempted and no one would ever know. In those everyday moments you do not need more cleverness or more strength. You need to know the God you are leaning on.
Even Paul, after a lifetime of walking with God, said his one ambition was still “that I may know him” (Philippians 3:10). If a believer as mature as Paul never outgrew this pursuit, then neither will the rest of us. Knowing God is the daily bread of the Christian life, and you never grow past your need for it.
So make this practical tomorrow morning. When you open your Bible, do not read only to finish a chapter. Read one passage slowly and ask, “What does this show me about who God is?” Then carry that one thing with you through the day. That is how an ordinary believer comes to know God, not in a single leap, but one honest morning at a time.
Reflection Questions
- If I am honest, what have I been treating as my real glory, my abilities, my strength, or what I own?
Can I say I truly know God, or have I settled for knowing things about Him?
What is one step I will take this week to make knowing God my chief pursuit?
Prayer
Father, forgive me for glorying in things that cannot last while neglecting the one thing You call worth everything. Above my wisdom, my strength, and all I possess, teach me to treasure knowing You. Draw me into Your Word to meet You there, and make knowing You the great pursuit of my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Further Reading
Jeremiah 9
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