Session 9 

August 2, 2020 

Unit 2: Look to the Lord (Psalms) 

The Experience of Rest 

God shows us how to cultivate His kind of rest. 

The Word 

Psalm 37:1-11 

Session Outcome 

To understand the privilege of spiritual rest and how to avoid hindrances to this kind of experience.

Discover: 

Illustrated Bible Life explores the value of wisdom for happiness and contentment, and provides verse-by-verse commentary on the Scripture passage. 

Last Week: 

We examined God’s requirements for both character and conduct in the kingdom of God. 

This Week: 

We will examine the ways to experience God’s kind of rest. 

Listen: 

This week’s Illustrated Bible Life podcast on FoundryLeader.com examines the purpose of the wisdom psalms. 

Discover: 

Israel’s wisdom teachers promoted the teaching that there are only two ways to live: the way of godliness and the way of wickedness. The first leads to blessing and prosperity, but the second to destruction. So how did the ancients know they were on the right path? The wisdom psalms were instrumental in helping readers discern God’s way. Read more about “Finding Wisdom in the Psalms” in this week’s Illustrated Bible Life article. 

Engage the Word 

First Proverb 

(This psalm is an instructional poem, much like what you will find in the book of Proverbs.) 

Psalm 37:1-2 

Do not fret” (v. 1a) is a piece of advice that is very common in Scripture, similar to “Do not be afraid.” It acknowledges an important reality: there are reasons to fret. Stuff happens to us and around us that can easily cause us to worry and be anxious. The psalmist does not deny this reality; rather, the instruction is to respond differently from what we might do naturally. 

The specific cause for fretting in this instance was the apparent success of wrongdoers. In fact, some people of faith were envious. Envy results from comparing ourselves with others and coming up short. “Do not . . . be envious” (v. 1b), therefore, is another practical piece of advice to resist going where your simple, natural reactions would take you. 

Why should anyone whom the psalmist addresses take seriously this advice to not fret or not be envious? The reason is simple but far-sighted: any apparent or real success on the part of evildoers will not last. It is temporary. Like plants that do not have deep roots, the success of wrongdoers is superficial and unable to hold up to significant testing (v. 2). In short, they will be exposed for who they really are (cf. Proverbs 23:17; 24:19; 24:1). 

Second Proverb
Psalm 37:3-4 

Here is a positive command to balance out the negative instruction of the previous proverb. “Trust” (v.3a) in the Lord means more than simply believe that there is a God. Trust means active faith, relying on, depending on, and resting in God. One’s trust is evidenced in what one says and what one does. How does a trusting person behave? 

A trusting person acts rightly, justly, is “good” (v. 3a). Rather than letting the apparent success of evildoers become a ruse for behaving like them (in order to get the same “successful” result), a truly good person continues to act righteously. This is the behavioral commitment. Along with it the psalmist advocates for an attitudinal commitment to “take delight in the Lord” (v. 4a). As we give to God our best behavior and our affections, we experience the benefits of this way of living: “safe pasture” (direct care from the Good Shepherd, v. 3b) and “the desires of our hearts” (the kind of life we were created for, v. 4b). 

Third Proverb
Psalm 37:5-6 

This proverb reiterates a key theme of the previous one: the importance and benefits of trust in God. Attitudes and behaviors of commitment and trust are our part to play. In response, God acts to counter the effects of wrongdoers (cf. Proverbs 16:3). 

Notice the contrast of images with verse 2. Whereas the evildoer is compared with grass and other green plants that wither and die when exposed to the sun, the righteous person blossoms through exposure to the sun. The sun (God) is rewarding and vindicating (v. 6). Even if the person trusting God experiences setbacks, they will be temporary, like a cloud that covers the sun for a period but eventually gives way to a full and brilliant light. 

Fourth Proverb
Psalm 37:7 

This proverb takes the practical instruction to an even deeper level. Trust, delight, and commitment require patience because, as the psalmist emphasizes, they work out over time. Another way of saying this is: Trust in the Lord today, and tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day, . . . You get the point. 

Being “still” (v. 7a) before the Lord means staying in a position of trust, delight, and commitment. The psalmist is not advocating inactivity or passivity; rather, it is encouragement to not give up because some people “succeed” (v. 7c) who perhaps don’t deserve it because they “carry out wicked schemes” (v. 7d). 

Fifth Proverb
Psalm 37:8-9 

Anger is a normal, natural feature of human experience. As an emotion it is not evil or sinful, but it can lead to sin. Anger that turns to “wrath” (v. 8a), a condemnatory anger directed at others with a desire to hurt and destroy, only adds to whatever problem evoked the anger in the first place. It can, and often does, make matters worse, leading to more “evil” (v. 8b). How can one keep anger in check so that it does not wreak havoc? The answer in this proverb again has to do with perspective. When the Hebrews were tempted to follow their anger into sinful actions, they could remember that in the long run evildoers “will be destroyed” (v. 9a, as were the Canaanites before them) and those who “hope in the Lord will inherit the land” (v. 9b, like their predecessors before them). 

Sixth Proverb
Psalm 37:10-11 

This proverb continues and expands the theme of the previous one. The phrase “though you look” (v. 10b) is more literally translated “and I will look”, which adds a personal touch. It’s as if the psalmist is so convinced of God’s long-term outcomes that he is willing to watch for the confirming evidence himself! Whatever the current frustration over injustice, the patience required of the faithful is only for “a little while” (v.10a). Because it’s only a temporary reality, one can trust, delight, commit, be still, wait patiently, and refrain from fretting, envy, and anger. 

What can we call a faithful person who follows the instructions of this psalm? One term captures it well: “meek” (v. 11a). As you can see it takes great strength of will, character, and heart to be meek. 

Did You Know? 

Wisdom teachers in ancient Israel wanted their pupils to go beyond just memorizing truth to truly understand why it was important. Connected to living life well, what they learned became true practical knowledge. 

Think About It 

The simple, pointed command of this passage, “Fret not,” appears in three different places in the psalm (vv. 1, 7, 8). As difficult as this instruction may seem to us, the psalm reminds us that we are patiently to wait, trust, and not to worry. Our confidence is to be in the long-range, kindly providences of our loving God. 

Reflect 

How might you better understand trust if you considered what you specifically fret about, whom you envy, and what angers you? 

Douglas Hardy 

Discussion Guide 

Insight 

Patient waiting on God is neither mysterious nor a refusal to act. Rather, it is the deepest kind of confidence in God. The psalmist is so convinced that God is in control, he dares to wait for the results of his trust (v. 7). We are free to wait and to rest because we know that God is in control.

Connect to My Experience 

Today’s session is about trusting in the Lord when we are tempted to fret and worry. To get started, guide your group members through the following mental exercise: 

Imagine you’re standing in line at a fast food restaurant. You’re in a hurry and have stopped there to get food fast. You order a regular cheeseburger, fries, and a drink. Eight minutes later your food still isn’t ready. To make matters worse, the person in line behind you, who ordered five full meals, got his food two minutes ago. Just then, you get a text message from your spouse, asking if you can pick him/her up something to eat as well. 

Describe how you would feel in this moment. 

Invite volunteers to share a time when they experienced “fret” (anxiety or worry). 

Transition: 

This example begins to scratch the surface of what it means to fret about something. Today’s session helps us discover the meaning of godly rest when our fretting goes into overdrive. 

Connect to the Word 

Invite someone to read Psalm 37:1-2 and discuss the following, 

The psalm begins with some more advice telling us what not to do. In this case, we are directed not to fret and be envious of those who do wrong. 

How would you define the word “envy”? (The dictionary defines envy as a “painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with the desire to possess the same advantage.”) 

In what ways are we tempted to be envious of others whose ways are not godly? 

Why does it appear that certain ungodly people seem to prosper? (Remember it could be because the world’s ways of doing things aren’t godly. Those systems are set up so that ungodly ways tend to succeed.) 

The “prosperity” of the ungodly is only temporary. The kingdom of God lasts forever. 

What might it mean for us to live in that perspective? 

Why does the world focus on the temporal rather than the eternal? 

Why is it important for us to understand that short-lived material “prosperity” everyone seems to be chasing after isn’t that important compared to the kingdom? 

Invite someone to read Psalm 37:3-6 and discuss the following, 

Instead of fretting and stewing over the wrong ways of the ungodly, we are called to trust, take delight in, and commit our way to the Lord. 

What are the imperatives listed in verses 3-5? (trust in God, vv. 3, 5; dwell, v. 3; delight in God, v. 4; commit your way to God, v. 5) What do God’s people receive as a result of these commitments?

Trust is mentioned twice (vv. 3, 5). What does it mean to trust? (One example might be to point out how we trust the integrity of the chair we’re sitting in to be able to hold us up. We put all our weight on this piece of furniture and rely on it not to fail. We can take the same posture before the Lord with all our lives.) 

How will taking delight in the Lord perhaps change the desires of our heart? What does it mean for God to fulfill those desires? 

How would you restate or rephrase verse 6 in your own words? 

Invite someone to read Psalm 37:7 and discuss the following, 

Verse 7 restates the theme of verse 1. God’s people need not fret if the way of the wicked seems to succeed. Instead, the people of God are called to be still and wait. 

Try this practice of being still and waiting. Invite the group to sit in complete silence. (Set a timer for 45 seconds, but do not tell your group how long you waited.) 

Was that difficult?  Would you be surprised if I told you we only paused for 45 seconds? What made this last moment difficult? 

Why do most people not like waiting? 

What are some elements of our culture inside and outside of the church that tend to form us into impatient people? 

Name elements of our culture that fill our lives with noise, movement, and chaos. How do most people deal with these elements? 

What might it look like for us to intentionally build moments of rest, stillness, silence, and waiting into our worship gatherings, our praying, and our daily lives? 

Invite someone to read Psalm 37:8-11 and discuss the following, 

A life lived outside of God’s peace opens the door for anger and wrath. Such a way does not lead to life, but only to destruction. Such a life does not last. It can be violent, chaotic, and short. 

How can we refrain from anger when it is a normal human emotion? 

In contrast, those who hope in the Lord, “the meek,” will inherit the land. In the Old Testament, God’s people are promised descendants and land if they will keep the covenant God made with them. 

What might it mean for us to “inherit the land?” (Again take a long-term approach here, and do not limit your discussion to the blessings of heaven after we die. Talk about the promise of living in the place where God has us in peace, experiencing the purpose and fulfillment in life that only a godly life can bring.) 

Connect to My Life and the World 

The late Earl and Hazel Lee, in their book The Cycle of Victorious Living: Commit, Trust, Delight, and Rest in Jesus Christ (Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, 2011) write about “Hands Down Prayer.” Pray, imagining holding your biggest problem, need, concern, or burden in your upturned hands. After describing the problem to God in prayer, we acknowledge our inability to solve or carry the problem on our own. The problem is then symbolically released by turning the palms downward, letting it fall into the capable and loving hands of our heavenly Father. The prayer closes with words of thanksgiving for the peace and assurance that God will deal with the problem according to His perfect will. 

Pray as a group, following the steps above, surrendering your biggest problems or concerns to God—resting in Him. Consider playing “Be Still My Soul” quietly in the background as group members pray.

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