Don’t worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong. —Psalm 37:1
-What is it that you find yourself worrying about?
-How would you define worry anyway?
-Have you ever worried or stressed or been fearful of something that turned out not so bad or not bad at all? What was it?
For like grass, they soon fade away. Like spring flowers, they soon wither. —Psalm 37:2
-What is this saying to us? What are we supposed to learn from this?
-If this is true, that most of our worries and fears turn out to be unfounded, and that looking back we had no need to worry or fear, what could we do today or tomorrow when we begin to worry that could help us avoid being fearful?
Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. 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 37:3-5
-What does it mean to trust in the Lord and do good?
He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun. Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper— it only leads to harm. For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land. —Psalm 37:6-9
-What did this passage just say?
For the strength of the wicked will be shattered, but the Lord takes care of the godly. Day by day the Lord takes care of the innocent, and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever. They will not be disgraced in hard times; even in famine they will have more than enough. The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand. Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread. —Psalm 37:17-19;23-25
-What did this passage just tell us about God and ourselves?
-If you were going to put this principle, of being trustful, into practice in your lives to avoid being fearful, this week, what would you need to do?
Pray for each other in the areas where they have difficulty trusting God and are worried, anxious or fearful.