The Bible in a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz

Episode: Day 232 – Glory in Knowing God
Date: August 20, 2025

Overview:

In Day 232, Fr. Mike Schmitz guides listeners through Jeremiah 9, Ezekiel 39, and Proverbs 15:1-4, focusing on the tragedy of Israel’s brokenness, God’s call to genuine knowledge of Himself, and the theme of restoration after exile. Fr. Mike reflects deeply on Jeremiah’s lament, God’s steadfast purposes, and the transformative call to glory not in worldly strength or wisdom, but in truly knowing God. The episode mixes powerful scripture readings with insightful pastoral reflection, prayer, and practical encouragement for our daily spiritual lives.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Jeremiah’s Lamentation: The Weeping Prophet

• Jeremiah’s Grief: Fr. Mike highlights Jeremiah’s deep sorrow for his people. The prophet’s heart is broken at the people's unfaithfulness, expressed in his powerful, poetic language.
  • “He says this…‘Oh, that my head were waters and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people.’” (Fr. Mike, 16:31)
• Anger and Sorrow: Jeremiah doesn’t merely want to be right or angry; he reveals that confronting evil should lead to broken-hearted compassion, not just indignation.
  • “It’s easy sometimes to be angry… but to allow evil, not just to stir us to anger… but that it breaks our hearts.” (Fr. Mike, 18:20)
• Broken Relationships: Jeremiah warns against trusting those who have been unfaithful to God and to each other, stressing the ripple effect of lost trust in a community.
  • “When a neighbor has been revealed that their promises are just as often false as they are true, then we have to beware of that person… if they’re not going to be true to their promise to the Lord, they’re not going to be true to their promise to the important people in their lives, then… they probably won’t be true in their promises to you as well.” (Fr. Mike, 19:03)

2. Glory in Knowing God: The Heart of the Episode

• Key Passage: Jeremiah 9:23-24 – “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches… but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows me…”
• Fr. Mike’s Reflection:
  • This is the true aim of our life and the Bible-in-a-Year journey: not self-reliance or pride, but to actually know God.
  • “That’s incredible. The one who glories, glory in this, that you understand and know God. That just blows my mind and blows my heart out of my chest.” (Fr. Mike, 22:09)
  • “What we’ve been doing for the last 232 days—we’ve been allowing God to speak to us and shape our hearts to reveal who he is. And here’s the result: we get to glory in the fact, ‘No, Lord God, you’ve revealed yourself to us, and so we know you.’” (Fr. Mike, 22:46)
• The Transformative Power of Scripture: God’s word changes how we see the world, ourselves, and especially God Himself, giving us a biblical worldview and “God-view.”

3. Ezekiel 39: Restoration and the Purpose Behind Exile

• Israel’s Judgment and Restoration: Ezekiel recounts God’s judgment on the enemies of Israel and promises the dramatic return from exile.
• Purpose of Exile: Everything God allows (exile, destruction, restoration) is meant to lead to knowing Him more deeply.
  • “Everything that God allows the people to go through… all of it is so that he says, ‘then they will know that I am the Lord their God, that then they will see my holiness, then they will know who I am.’” (Fr. Mike, 25:49)
• Forgetting Shame in Restoration: God promises that Israel’s shame will be forgotten upon restoration—a powerful image of new beginning.
  • “They shall forget their shame and all the treachery they have practiced against me, when they dwell securely in their land with none to make them afraid.” (Fr. Mike, 24:52)
• Parallel to Christian Life: We too live in a type of exile, awaiting our true homeland in God’s Kingdom, living with the hope that God’s restoration erases shame and brings security.

4. Proverbs 15:1-4—The Power of Words

• The Wisdom of Speech: Proverbs offers practical wisdom—gentle words diffuse anger, the wise build up rather than tear down.
• Fr. Mike’s Prayer: He prays for sanctified minds, hearts, and tongues—that our words may be true, life-giving, and glorifying to God.
  • “Touch our mouths, our God, that we don’t pour out folly, but only say the words that people really need to hear—words that will help them.” (Fr. Mike, 14:57)

5. Looking Ahead: Ezekiel’s Vision of the Temple

• Upcoming Episodes: Fr. Mike previews several chapters ahead, which will detail Ezekiel’s vision of a new temple—rich in symbolism, never physically constructed, possibly alluding to an eschatological hope.
  • “For the next eight chapters in Ezekiel’s book… we get to hear about… the way the Lord God reveals to Ezekiel, ‘Here’s how I want the temple to be constructed.’ It’s an interesting kind of thing, because that was never constructed like this…it had never been and has never been…and who knows, maybe only in Heaven will it be.” (Fr. Mike, 28:28)
• Encouragement: Accept every part of God’s word—even the hard or strange parts—as instructive and formative.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches. But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows me…”
— Lord, via Jeremiah/Fr. Mike (22:03)

“That’s incredible… That you understand and know God. That just blows my mind and blows my heart out of my chest.”
— Fr. Mike (22:09)

“We’re good, but broken. We’re good, but fallen. And so we know that our minds are meant to know truth, and our hearts are meant to love the true, the good and the beautiful…and our mouths…to speak truth and never deceive…but only to build up, never to tear down…”
— Fr. Mike (14:12)

“Everything that God allows the people to go through… all of it is so that he says, ‘then they will know that I am the Lord their God…’”
— Fr. Mike (25:49)

“God’s word gives us a biblical worldview, and maybe a biblical God-view…That changes our hearts, hopefully.”
— Fr. Mike (23:19)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Jeremiah’s lament and the pain of communal sin: 16:31 – 19:42
• On trusting unfaithful people and community breakdown: 19:03 – 20:25
• Glorying in knowing God, not self-sufficiency: 21:49 – 23:19
• The transformation of our worldview by God’s Word: 22:46 – 24:00
• Ezekiel’s promise of restoration and God’s purpose in exile: 24:52 – 26:50
• Practical application—living as exiles, awaiting restoration: 26:50 – 27:35
• Preview of Ezekiel’s vision of the Temple: 28:12 – 29:15

Summary Table: Main Themes

| Theme | Scripture Reference | Fr. Mike’s Reflection (Timestamp) | |-------------------------------|----------------------------------|--------------------------------------| | Grief over community’s sin | Jeremiah 9 | 16:31 – 19:42 | | True glory is knowing God | Jeremiah 9:23-24 | 21:49 – 23:19 | | Promise of restoration | Ezekiel 39 | 24:52 – 26:50 | | The wisdom of gentle speech | Proverbs 15:1-4 | 13:40 – 15:05 | | Exile as spiritual metaphor | Ezekiel 39 (esp. v28) | 27:00 – 27:35 | | Temple vision preview | Ezekiel 40–48 preview | 28:12 – 29:15 |

Takeaways for Listeners

• The only legitimate boast for any believer is to know and understand God intimately.
• True spiritual renewal comes through compassion, repentance, and being shaped by God’s word.
• God’s punishments and promises point us to Himself, showing that He desires restoration and fellowship.
• Even in spiritual exile or shame, God offers the hope of restoration, security, and dignity.
• Our words matter—they can heal or hurt, and God calls us to use them with wisdom.

Closing

Fr. Mike encourages listeners to continue this journey of knowing God through His Word, assures them of his prayers, and asks for theirs as well. He reminds everyone to approach even the more technical or difficult biblical passages with humility and expectation—because it is all God’s word, all part of the story of His steadfast love and purpose for His people.

“I’m praying for you. Please pray for me… I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless.”
— Fr. Mike (29:10)