“Show me Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day.” Psalm 25:4-5

There was a time when I looked at this passage of Scripture only through the lens of character. “What were the ways of God—His righteous characteristics of doing things?” I’d ask myself. I’d also look at “paths” as merely “spiritual paths”— disciplines and principles that could grow my faith and relationship with God.

However, these days, I find myself uttering these two verses like a daily prayer, hungrily asking God for guidance even in the simplest of matters. What are God’s ways when it comes to my decisions at work? God’s ways in the choices of my daily grind? What are His paths when it comes to empowering my family? His paths for me as I live out the hours of each today?

With life tossing curveballs across my path, I find that I am in so much need of guidance from the Lord. It’s not anymore just a matter of knowing faith or character from the Bible; it’s about applying these in the practical arena—where character takes on action and faith impacts not only the self, but others.

When I look at Psalm 25:4-5, I also love how the Psalmist says to the Lord, “You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day.” ALL THE DAY. Do we wait on the Lord the whole day?

Often, we Christians set aside devotional time—one hour, two hours… then we move forward with our day, forgetting that the rest of our 24 hours is STILL time with the Lord. He doesn’t disappear. He’s STILL Someone we can talk to throughout the day. He’s Someone who can counsel us in the wee hours of the night.

This definitely entails seeking God beyond our devotional time. We wait. We watch. We listen for His footsteps as we go about our day.  God can speak in the morning, afternoon, and night. Yes, even in our dreams, He can speak to us in the same manner He spoke to Nebuchadnezzar and Pharaoh!

We have a God who knows what the best choices are in life; His best paths. We have a God who embodies wisdom. We can remember that we can simply ask Him for wisdom. James 1:5 says, “If any of you lack wisdom let Him ask of God who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

Let’s be hungry for God and His ways. Let’s seek His paths. He’s the God of our salvation—not just for eternal life, but even now, at a time when our choices must reflect His redemption, truth, and goodness toward others and ourselves. Yes, the God we regard as spiritual is also the God of the practical.

Janina Marie Rivera

Janina Marie Rivera is the Editor-in-Chief of One Voice Magazine, a teacher of world literature, and a student of the Bible. She enjoys reflecting on life’s curve balls and plateaus. She resides in the Philippines, the country known for people who smile a lot.

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