HEART HEALTHY SUMMER SERIES: DESIRES OF THE HEART 

Psalm 37:1-7 (LESSON 3) June 17th, 2018

“Delight yourself in the LORD, and the LORD will give you the desires of your heart.”

Psalm 37:4 ESV

OPENING (PICK ONE OR MORE): Other than the Lord, what or whom do you delight yourself in? What are some of the desires of your heart at this moment? What or whom are you fretting over at this moment?

TEXT: Read Psalm 37:1-7 in your favorite translations. IF TIME PERMITS: read the whole Psalm.

1.          What is the main idea in the opening frame of this Psalm (37:1-7)? How would your perspective on life be different if you applied the principles of this Psalm on a daily-basis? David gives a variety of commands. Which of them is the most meaningful and which is the most challenging for you?

2.          TRUST IN THE LORD! The main verb in this section is trust (37:3, 5). What does it look like for you to trust in the Lord? How would you describe the biblical concept of trust to a friend (see also Psalm 37:5, 52:8, 62:8 and Proverbs 3:5-6)? Where in your life do you need to trust in the Lord? How can we or others help you with your trust? What is the opposite of trust? REVIEW: Last week we were to rejoice in the Lord this week we are to trust in the Lord. Compare these two.

3.          YHWH or the LORD. 15x David mentions the Lord (37:3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 13, 17, 18, 23, 24, 28, 31, 33…). Who is the Lord according to David? What characteristics of the Lord are the most inspiring for your heart? Which characteristics cause you to want to trust and to delight in Him? Praise the Lord and thank Him at this moment for who He is? What hurdles keep you from trusting Him?

4.          DELIGHT. When you hear the word delight, what comes to your mind? What does a follower of the Lord do to show that he or she delights in the Lord? What does the word “delight” mean in verse 11? Verse 16 and 23 describe a person who delights in the Lord (v.23 different Hebrew word) what are the consequences and blessings of delighting ourselves in the Lord? How would your life be different moving forward if you chose to delight yourself in the Lord vs. other things?

5.          DIG DEEPER: Psalm 37 is an interplay between God’s sovereignty and man’s free will. What does this Psalm have to say about man’s free will vs. the Lord’s sovereignty? Which is greater? The Psalm also describes the consequences of following the Lord faithfully. Psalm 37:4 gives the answer but is it; 1) we desire the Lord’s desires, or 2) the Lord answers our prayers?

6.          DESIRES OF THE HEART: “Desires of the heart” has two main interpretations. 1) We will desire what the Lord desires, or 2) answered prayer. Which of these two do you think David had in mind?  Based on your interruption what is the main application and take away for you this week?

NEXT STEP: Make a chart of your current delights and desires. How are these delights and desires influencing your heart? Are the healthy or unhealthy delights and desires? Confess unhealthy delights and desires. Write in your journal the ways that the Lord has work