ODB: Something to Brag About
July 24, 2019
READ: Jeremiah 9:23–26
Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches. Jeremiah 9:23
What does it mean to be real? That’s the very big question answered in the small children’s book The Velveteen Rabbit. It’s the story of toys in a nursery and the velveteen rabbit’s journey to become real by allowing himself to be loved by a child. One of the other toys is the old and wise Skin Horse. He “had seen a long succession of mechanical toys arrive to boast and swagger, and by and by break . . . and pass away.” They looked and sounded impressive, but their bragging eventually amounted to nothing when it came to love.
Boasting starts out strong; but in the end, it always fades away. Jeremiah lists three areas where this is evident: “wisdom . . . strength . . . riches” (Jeremiah 9:23). The wise old prophet had been around long enough to know a thing or two, and he countered such boasting with the Lord’s truth: “But let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the
Let us, the children, brag about God, our good Father. In the unfolding story of His great love, it’s the wonderful way you and I grow to become more and more real.
— John Blase
Think of a person you know who embodies the ability to “boast in the Lord.” What is one way this week you can follow their example?
Father, help me to remember Jeremiah’s words. May my only boasting be in the knowledge of You and Your great love which endures forever.
Source: Our Daily Bread
