My only boast

Deuteronomy 7; Psalm 90; Isaiah 35; Revelation 5

I can cook a decent meal, keep my home comfortable and clean, make nice quilts, write stories, ride a horse, and do several other things with reasonable competence, but those things are not on God’s checklist. He cares about me, but none of those things impress Him. He loves because He loves. He saved me because it is His nature to save . . . and I rejoice because I’m deeply aware of my shortcomings.

“For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. (Deuteronomy 7:6–8)

Isaiah speaks of God’s people as the ransomed, those who will see His glory and experience His blessings. He also says,

And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way; even if they are fools, they shall not go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. (Isaiah 35:8–10, italics mine)

How does this happen? Not because of me but because of Jesus! He is declared worthy — because He died for me . . .

Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” (Revelation 5:11–13)

Yesterday God reminded me that He is worthy because He is our Creator. Today He shouts that Jesus is worthy because He was slain for my sin; He is my Redeemer! He took me out of bondage and plunked me on His highway of holiness. Fool that I am, He ransomed me for Himself and keeps me there.

For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:25–31)

God does not select those He saves based on merit. He can make anyone, even a fool, His child and enable that fool to walk in His way in holiness. His salvation is just that: HIS, not mine. I cannot boast except in Him and His amazing grace and power.

APPLY: Boast in Jesus, today and every day. Express gratitude to Him, to others. Declare His incomparable worth!