Living in Wisdom Every Day

We need wisdom for our everyday lives, and this begins with the fear of the Lord.

As we've seen throughout the wisdom literature of the Bible, this looks like standing in awe of God, surrendering to him, trusting him when things don’t make sense, and following him no matter where he leads. And the Psalms paint a beautiful and surprising picture of how God responds to us when we fear him.

The Book of Psalms includes a collection of wisdom poems (see the end for information on a free, 8-week prayer guide for hearing God’s voice in the Psalms). Psalm 1 elevates meditating on and living out God’s life-giving ways to the benefit of yourself and others—sounds like Proverbs. In Psalm 73, the poet tries to understand why things are not working out as expected, but trusts that God’s good ways will win out in the end—sounds like Ecclesiastes and Job. And in Psalm 25, we see one of the most inspiring pictures of what it means to fear God and live wisely.

This Psalm highlights the steadfast love of God, which is captured in the Hebrew word “Hesed.” It describes God’s faithful, never-ending, promise-keeping love where he walks with his people in their everyday lives. Yes, he’s terrifying! He’s big, powerful, and could wipe us out with a word. But fearing God comes full circle when we realize this wise, all-powerful, Creator Being is on our side. Consider verse 14, where God offers friendship or counsel to those who fear him. In the ancient world, people believed the gods created humans to be slaves. But for Israel and for us, God is a friend. God desires to come close to his people and guide them in person.

Fearing God happens because we’re close enough to be aware of God’s presence, power, and perspective. And we get to draw near to God because he draws near to us—sounds like James.

So, as you aim to live wisely, consider the awe-inspiring reality that God is not far off but close. He knows what you’re facing and wants to do life with you. The more you learn to fear God in your everyday life, the wiser you will become, and the more you’ll realize God is a friend who loves you and wants what’s best for you.

Take a minute to pray:

Creator God, you created the world and me. You are powerful, strong, and have unlimited perspective. I can’t comprehend how big you are. And yet, instead of being far off and disconnected from my life, you are here, right here, walking beside me. Help me learn to notice you in my everyday life and follow you wherever you lead. Help me live according to your good ways, trust your good plans, and surrender to the story you’re writing for the world and my life. And when things are hard and don’t go the way I expect, help me to lean on you as my strength and my friend. Amen.

It’s one thing to say God is near, it’s another to actually notice his presence, hear his voice, and follow his lead. To help, we’ve created a free, 8-week journey into not only the wisdom Psalms, but the Book of Psalms in general, to help you hear from, know, and follow God in your everyday life. In this free digital download, you’ll learn to pray with the Psalms by listening for God's voice and responding with practical next steps. Check it out at reclaimtoday.org/psalms.