Sunday Praise & Worship 10:00
Christian Education - 10:00 - Casual Dress - Loving Childcare
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Sermon Notes for Psalm 37:1-9, 23-24 Key Verse: Psalm 37:4-5 “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.”
Psalm 37 forms the book-end of a four Psalm set, Psalms 34-37. Psalms 34 and 37 are composed as an alphabetic acrostic. Each verse begins with a different letter (in order) of the Hebrew alphabet (or, in Hebrew, the “alephbate”). The two bookend Psalms are an example of Hebrew wisdom writings, which bring a divine perspective to everyday life and issues. They frame Psalms 35 and 36, which are prayers for God’s protection from enemies. Other wisdom Psalms include 1, 49, 71, 111, 112, 119, 127-128, and 133.
In Psalm 37, two verses are devoted to each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The structure of the Psalm itself reminds the singers and readers of God’s order in the apparent chaos of life. B follows A. And the opening encouragement not to envy those who do wrong, which nearly quotes Proverbs 24:19, is thunderously amplified in the final couplet, which celebrates the Lord’s salvation of the righteous. The wisdom of Psalm 37 encourages us to focus on following after God, even when the wicked seem to prevail around us.
Psalm 37 promises God’s justice for all who place their trust in God alone. Paul wrote of God’s wisdom seeming like foolishness to some people (1 Corinthians 1:18-25). Psalm 37:11 sings of God’s overturning conventional wisdom in a way that presages Jesus’ Beatitudes: “the meek will inherit the land” (compare Matthew 5:5). The key to moving from our foolishness to the wisdom of God can be found in our key verses for today’s reading (above): total delight—and total trust in God.
Job, another wisdom book, illuminates the meaning of delight in God. Job 27:10 equates delight in the Almighty to constantly calling on God at all times. Paul must have had this wisdom in mind as he closed his first letter to the Thessalonians: “Pray without ceasing” (5:17). Job 22:22-26 describes the steps along the path to finding delight in the Almighty: lay up God’s words in your heart; assign your nuggets of gold to the dust; lift up your face to God, and the Almighty will be your gold.
How does the wisdom tradition of the Bible teach us to delight in God? By treasuring God and God’s words in constant contemplation and prayer. How is it that the Lord’s Prayer begins? If you want to take refuge in God, begin by allowing your heart to love God completely—hallow God’s name with your life.
Like the wisdom of Job 22, Matthew 6:21 reminds us that what we treasure reveals our heart. We cannot seek the Lord with half-hearted faith. But the beauty of the promise of verses like Jeremiah 29:13 and Deuteronomy 4:29 is that full-hearted seeking cannot help but find God! The Psalm promise: “God will give you your heart’s desires” can be a devastating curse or an eternal blessing. Does your heart desire anything but God alone? Your sword will pierce your own heart (Psalm 37:15). Do you hope in the Lord and keep God’s way? God will exalt you to inherit the land (Psalm 37:34).
Questions for Reflection
1. Psalm
37 calls us to attend to the state of our hearts. We give them away all too
easily—piecemealing our love out in so many directions that we have no idea of
what we truly desire. Note the first verse above (Psalm 37:4). Why do you think
taking delight in the Lord is a condition of God’s gift to us of our heart’s
desires? Please read John 15:9-17. How is this promise of Jesus related to Psalm
37:4?
2. Take
a closer look at Psalm 37:23—”The Lord
directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.” How
do you experience God’s delight in every detail of your life? What would God’s
delight in you feel like (if you have not sensed this)? And how does your taking
delight in God relate to God’s delight in you?
3. We
are talking about discovering our life path in this current worship series. What
is the heart desire of your life? Why are you here? 4. How has the Holy Spirit spoken to you in worship today?
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