Living Wisely

 Psalm 111, Ephesians 5:15-20

The Psalmist in Psalms 111 is filled with wisdom telling about all the attributes of God and God’s wonderous deeds including redemption for God’s people. He closes by saying the fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom. This doesn’t mean being afraid of God but the Hebrew word for fear means an awareness or realization of the Lord – another way of saying knowledge of God. It also denotes reverence and respect. This is truly seen in all the previous verses where the Psalmist proclaims the awesomeness of God. Worshipping God then leads to wisdom.

In Ephesians, the writer talks about being careful in how you live. You do so by being wise people who make the most of the time. These new Christians are not to continue their foolish lives of debauchery getting drunk. Instead of singing drunken songs they are to sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs – making melody to the Lord in their hearts. Like the Psalmist giving thanks to God with his whole heart we are to give thanks to God the Father at all times.

This acknowledging God is the beginning of wisdom. Yet acknowledging and revering God isn’t enough. We need to practice this wisdom – live it. For those who practice it have a good understanding. Living then as the wise people Ephesians emphasizes will make the most of the time since in understanding they will know the best way to use their time.

How do we live wisely – it’s by getting to know God the Father better and living out God’s trustworthy precepts. A precept is a rule or direction telling a way you should act or behave. Drunkenness is not one of these therefore it is unwise and foolish. Instead, the wise thing is to be filled with the Spirit. Due to Christ’s work on the cross we have a helper – the Holy Spirit who can lead us to living wisely and direct us how to make the most of the time. Ephesians tells us to not to be foolish but understand what the will of the Lord is. This is the understanding we get by practicing – living out the precepts of the Lord. This is what we require after we start by revering God and showing this in singing and making melody in your hearts to Christ and giving thanks to God at all times and for everything. Amen.

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