But let him who glories glory in this: that he understands and knows Me… – Jeremiah 9:24a, Amplified Bible (AMP) People take pride in a variety of things. Some take pride in their wisdom. Others take pride in their skills. Still others glory in their physical strength or in their wealth. In the day of destruction, none of these things will matter, for when God’s wrath falls, human wisdom, skills, strength, and riches cannot guarantee deliverance. Only a personal relationship with God can. In Jeremiah 9, God (through Jeremiah) foretold the coming destruction of Judah at the hands of the king of Babylon. God had chosen Nebuchadnezzar to be his instrument of chastisement, and when Nebuchadnezzar fell upon the land, there was no hope of deliverance apart from God. As verses 23-24 state:

23 Thus says the Lord: Let not the wise and skillful person glory and boast in his wisdom and skill; let not the mighty and powerful person glory and boast in his strength and power; let not the person who is rich [in physical gratification and earthly wealth] glory and boast in his [temporal satisfactions and earthly] riches; 24 But let him who glories glory in this: that he understands and knows Me [personally and practically, directly discerning and recognizing My character], that I am the Lord, Who practices loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth, for in these things I delight, says the Lord.

There were many false prophets in Jeremiah’s day that foretold of Judah’s deliverance from destruction, but none of these prophets knew God. They, along with those who took pride in everything but God, perished in the wake of Nebuchadnezzar’s wrath. Like in the day of the Babylonian conquest, there will be no deliverance from destruction, apart from God, when death comes. No amount of money, strength, wisdom, or good works will earn us entry into God’s Heaven, and it doesn’t matter how often or how loudly today’s false prophets proclaim otherwise. God’s Word will be the only word that will prove true in the end, so we’d better not take pride in anything other than knowing God as our Lord and Savior. If you already have a saving relationship with God, then ask Him to help you guard against the sin of pride in anything but Him. If you don’t yet know God as your Savior, then click here to make today the day your salvation!