This is what the Lord says:
“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord.
Jeremiah 9.23-24
It has been a week like no other in British politics (at least in my lifetime) with the resignation of Prime Minister, Boris Johnson followed by those who, for some reason, want to succeed him as leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister, immediately making their pitches to fellow MPs and the electorate. As the candidates vie with each other for recognition and votes everything is focussed on what they will do as they boast about their ‘wisdom’ which will put things right; their ‘strength’ to meet head on and tackle the multitude of problems that the country faces and their ‘riches’ not necessarily money, which they can draw on to enable them to do the job.
This is where their focus appears to be in spite of the fact that relying on such things, has been so ineffective in dealing with many pressing areas such as the NHS, the economy, the breakdown of so much of society and the costly attempt to achieve Net Zero Emission in an absurdly short time. Further, such focus, has led to the spate of ‘wokeness’, the stranglehold that ‘trans’ issues seem to have in all areas of life, causing those who question such dogma to be damned as bigots and other issues.
The verses at the head of this piece will seem absurdly simplistic to those seeking to become Prime Minister, although there are some small signs that at least some of the candidates are questioning some of the issues I have noted. For the Christian however, here is the underlying foundation and bedrock of a more just and fair society based not on man’s wisdom, strength and riches but on having “the understanding to know, that (God) is the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight”
As we look at the state of our world, our nation and specifically the contest to become Prime Minister we may wonder what we can do to influence such things. With regard to most of the issues the answer is nothing directly, for we do not have influence in the corridors of power but knowing God’s word as it is recorded for us here through Jeremiah, but we can and must demonstrate a radically different world view and lifestyle based on ‘understanding and knowing God’ who is the source of all those things that the world so desperately needs
‘kindness, justice and righteousness’.
It is in these things that the Lord delights and when they are not present he is saddened and grieved and the world suffers because it is working outside his blueprint for blessing.
In our small corner we cannot change the world but let us boast whenever we have the opportunity, that we know God and bear witness to the fact that here lies the only right and sensible way ahead. Yes, political, economic and relational issues have to be worked on but without understanding and knowing God they will ultimately fail.
May our part of the world see that truth working out in us as we let it be known that we know the Lord!