Smart Versus Wise

Read Psalms 110:1–112:10

1. Praise the Lord! I will thank the Lord with all my heart as I meet with his godly people.
2. How amazing are the deeds of the Lord! All who delight in him should ponder them.
3. Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty. His righteousness never fails.
4. He causes us to remember his wonderful works. How gracious and merciful is our Lord!
5. He gives food to those who fear him; he always remembers his covenant.
6. He has shown his great power to his people by giving them the lands of other nations.
7. All he does is just and good, and all his commandments are trustworthy.
8. They are forever true, to be obeyed faithfully and with integrity.
9. He has paid a full ransom for his people. He has guaranteed his covenant with them forever. What a holy, awe-inspiring name he has! Psalm 111:1-9

Schools test children to measure intelligence, but they give no tests for wisdom. Moral choices fall outside the line of what schools can track, so you can be a brain (and a fool) and your foolishness will never show up on your report card. More to the point, if you want to be wise, you’ll have to do an independent study. No one will make you stay after school if you don’t.

So are you wise or foolish? Psalm 111 will help you assess your wisdom. If you don’t measure up, this psalm will also get you going in the right direction.

Other sources of wisdom in this reading focus on getting to know the Messiah (Psalm 110), and reviewing the benefits of being faithful to God (Psalm 112).

The only way to become truly wise begins with having reverence for God (Psalm 111:10, see also Proverbs 1:7, see also Proverbs 1:7). Too often we forget this and think that our own observations, a healthy dose of common sense, and a good college education will do the trick. But true wisdom doesn’t come from any of these human sources. If we do not acknowledge God as the only source of wisdom, our foundation for making wise decisions will not be solid, and we will often make foolish choices that will lead to big mistakes.

Get into the habit of reading and studying God’s Word to become familiar with God’s principles and his timeless truths. Once you’re familiar with the principles, review them again and again. Open your mind to what God says. He wants to fill you with wisdom.