Psalms part 6: chapters 35-43

Psalm 37:4 says, “He will give you the desires of your heart.”  Does that mean you get everything you want?  No, it means that God gives us the desires He wants us to have if we are redeemed and serving Him.  These desires always match up with his word and character.  So how to you know His desires and what pleases Him for your life?  In Psalm 40 and others we will study this week we will find the answers through the work of His spirit…pray that He will open your eyes to see His truth for you!

 

Psalm 35

·         This psalm describes David and his enemies and how each respond to one another.  List what his enemies have done to him.  How did he respond to them?

·         Read Matthew 5:43-48 and Luke 6:27-36.  What does Jesus’ teaching relate to how we treat our enemies?  Did David follow Jesus as described in Psalm 35?

·         Journal Prompt:  Think about your attitude toward your enemies. Have you found any confiction through these verses on a way of treating them differently. 

 

Psalm 36

·         This psalm contrasts the godly and ungodly.  How does sin control those who don’t know God? How does God interact with the righteous?

 

Psalm 37

·         Verse 1 says “do not fret because of evildoers, do not be envious toward wrongdoers.”  Though we shouldn’t, sometimes when we seem them prosper despite their hard hearts we are.  How does verse 2 and the rest of the psalm encourage you to cease worry or envy toward them?

·         How does the verse describe the righteous and what is in store for them?  Meditate on those promises! 

·         Verse 7 talks about waiting on the Lord.  Is this hard for you to do?  What dose the psalm say we should do

 

Psalm 38

·         What is David distressed about in this Psalm? Have you ever felt like him?

 

Psalm 39

·         What issue does David deal with in the first three verses?  Cross reference those with James 1:26 and 3:5-12. 

·         Read Ecclesiastes 3:12; 6:12 and Isaiah 40:28; 59:2.  How do those verses relate to this psalm?

 

Psalm 40

·         How is this Psalm different than the previous?

·         Read 1 Samuel 15:22-23.  Compare this passage to verses 6-8. 

·         In verse 10 David declares himself in the midst of a congregation.  What is the value of a witness?  Read Acts 1:8 and 10:39-44 for more information.

 

Psalm 41

·         What is the theme of this psalm?

·         Do you expect grace when you sin?  Read Romans 3:24-24.

 

Psalm 42

·         What metaphors does God use in this psalm to describe our longing for Him?

·         When we are in despair what is the answer?

 

Psalm 43

·         Summarize the main ideas from each paragraph.

·         Read John 1:1-9; 8: 12; and 14:6.  How is God’s light and truth revealed to us.