Wisdom Wednesday: Show Me the Way of Wisdom
Submitted by Debbie’s Dad
“Make me know Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. … Good and upright is the Lord; Therefore He instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in justice, And He teaches the humble His way. …Who is the man who fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the way he should choose. (Psalm 25: 4, 8-9, 12 NASB 95)
Today’s selection of four verses is from Psalm 25, where David lifts up his soul to God (v.1) and then prays for protection, guidance and forgiveness for his sins.
The four verses focus on the wisdom of knowing and following God’s ways:
- David wants to learn God’s ways (v.4) The King James Bible translates the request as “Show me your ways…”. This is an appeal to know and understand God’s way of life.
- David also states that because God is good, He will instruct us (sinners who humble themselves before Him) to learn His ways. (vv.8-9)
- And David then focuses on our need to make decisions in life. Here is the practical application of being taught in God’s ways–the person who reveres God will also be taught how to choose. (v. 12)
So, these passages show us that we must revere the Lord, desire to learn His ways, and He will teach us and enable us to make the right decisions.
But how will we know we are on His way?
In the next chapters 26 and 27, David describes how he knows he is in God’s way–He is on the “level path”:
- But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity; Redeem me, and be gracious to me. My foot stands on a level place; In the congregations I shall bless the Lord. (Psalm 26:11-12)
- Teach me Your way, O Lord, And lead me in a level path Because of my foes. (Psalm 27:11) (NASB 95)
The Hebrew word here is mishor, which is directly translated “level place”—like a flat piece of ground where you can stand upright and be stable. It is not slanted ground on the side of a hill, craggy rocks on the side of the mount, or ground littered with rocks as in the Judean desert. David is referring to his walk in life on a level, straight pathway. In Psalm 5:8, the request is to … “Make your way straight before me”. This is the way of integrity.
We are also instructed to commit our way to the Lord–to pray and give our path (plans and actions) to the Lord, having confidence in Him to use us to shine for Him, “Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.” He will bring forth your righteousness as the light And your judgment as the noonday. (Psalm 37:5-6)
I have a friend who, right now, is ministering in a war-torn land. He made a 3-month trip to meet with believers there, pass out printed copies of short Gospel messages that he writes himself, and introduce many to Jesus Christ. He is a shining example of a believer who reveres God, seeks God’s instructions in the way for his life, lives on a level ground of integrity, and then commits his way to the Lord.