Living in the Riches That Cannot Fade

The true riches are found in knowing the Lord, and these cannot be taken away.

Devotional Credit: Immeasurably More – Boasting in God

Photo Credit: Unsplash

In today’s devotional from Ray Stedman, the prophet Jeremiah’s words cut straight through human pretensions and self-reliance. God declares that wisdom, strength, and wealth—though admired by the world—are deeply limited and ultimately incapable of bringing what truly matters. Human wisdom sees only part of the picture. History is full of examples where our “solutions” have worsened the very problems they were meant to fix. Strength, no matter how impressive, can only reach so far, impacting physical realities but powerless to alter the human heart or moral truths. Wealth, though alluring, deceives with a sense of security and influence that evaporates when the deeper needs of the soul surface.

The Lord’s invitation is to boast in something altogether different: knowing Him. To know the One who exercises kindness, justice, and righteousness is to rest in His character and to draw from His inexhaustible supply. This knowing is not a mere intellectual grasp of God’s attributes—it is a relational knowing that transforms our values, priorities, and confidence.

When we know Jesus, we have access to His perfect wisdom that can guide us beyond the narrow corridors of human reasoning. We have His power, not the power to control circumstances, but the greater moral and spiritual power to live in holiness and love regardless of those circumstances. We have His riches, peace, joy, mercy, grace, and truth, which no currency on earth can purchase or diminish.

True boasting is not about elevating ourselves in the eyes of others. It is about magnifying the One who alone is worthy. When our hearts are anchored in who He is and what He delights in, we find that we no longer crave the recognition, control, or comfort that the world prizes. Instead, we rest in the surpassing joy of belonging to the Lord who delights in His people.

Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture

You are not defined by what the world measures. You are defined by what I have given you in Myself. My wisdom is yours, wisdom that sees the end from the beginning. My strength is yours, strength that is perfected in your weakness. My riches are yours, riches that never tarnish and cannot be stolen.

Do not set your heart on what passes away. Set your heart on Me, for I am your portion forever. I am the Lord who delights in steadfast love, in justice, and in righteousness. When you walk with Me, you are walking in the very things that bring Me joy.

Let the world boast in what it can see. Let your boast be in knowing Me. In Me you have everything you need for life and godliness. You have a place at My table, a name in My book, and a home in My presence. This is your treasure, and where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Scripture References: Jeremiah 9:23–24, 2 Corinthians 10:17, 1 Corinthians 1:30–31, Matthew 6:19–21, Philippians 3:7–9, Colossians 2:2–3, 2 Peter 1:3, Psalm 73:26

Real-Life Analogy

Imagine having a pantry stocked with every ingredient you could ever need, yet choosing instead to rummage through scraps in the back of a cupboard. That is what it is like to seek wisdom, power, or fulfillment apart from God when His abundance is already ours.

Today, when you face a decision or feel the pull to lean on your own resources, pause and remember the fullness that is already yours in Him. You might say, “Lord, I trust You to draw from Your wisdom, strength, and riches through me right now.” Whether it is responding to a difficult email, navigating a tense meeting, or comforting a hurting friend, yield to His sufficiency instead of your own reserves.

Prayer of Confidence

Lord, thank You that I can boast in knowing You. I rest in Your wisdom, which steadies my heart. I rely on Your strength, which never fails. I rejoice in Your riches, which bring joy and peace no circumstance can touch. Today I live from what You have already given, confident that You will express Your life through me in every encounter.