HOPE DEFERRED WILL SICKEN YOU
Pastor Sue’s Pearls From Above
Proverbs 13:12; Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a Tree of Life.
Hope—expectation, anticipate, to wait on.
Deferred—postponed, long drawn out, a delay in what is hoped for. When what you are expecting isn’t coming quickly.
There seems to be a feeling of hopelessness going through the body of Christ. So many Saints feel like their prayers are not going anywhere. Many keep praying, hoping, and waiting, but some answers don’t come, situations don’t change, some prayers seem to go unanswered.
There is a delay in God’s response, and after awhile, it makes the heart sick. Discouragement sets in, followed by downhearted, depression, doubt, worry, feeling anxious, then hopeless.
Hebrews 11 says, Faith is the substance of things hoped for. Faith is the confidence we have in God, that what we are hoping for, what we are expecting, He will bring it to pass.
But so many things being hoped for seem to be lingering, taking longer than expected, delayed. Then Saints start wondering what is the holdup, what is the reason healing don’t come. Where is the answer? Where is God?
More questions come up, Have I angered God? Is He displeased with me? Why are the Heavens silent? How much longer do I have to go through this trial! Why aren’t things getting better.
Agitation may set in, impatient, feeling more hopeless, then the enemy takes this opportunity to start messing with our mind. He brings thoughts of accusations, You really messed up this time, God has left you. You failed again, He can’t be pleased with you. God doesn’t care that you are suffering, if He really loved you, He would have answered your prayers by now. You might as well give up, things aren’t going to change. Hope deferred makes the heart sick!
One thing we can NEVER allow the enemy to do is steal our Faith and Hope!
Now abides Faith, Hope and Love, they work together. Faith and Hope work together, through the Love God has towards us. Apostle Paul said these three Abide. That means that they continue on, they remain, endures, won’t perish…
If we lose faith, it still endures, if we lose hope, it will still exist, if we lose heart, God is still the God of Love. And His love is the greatest of the three! If He tarries, continue to wait on Him, for in our waiting, He will renew our strength, and we shall mount up with wings as eagles, (Isaiah 40:31). The Hebrew word for wait in this verse is qavah, which implies hope and trust. Waiting on the Lord is an act of faith and trust in God, and an expectation that He will show up and move in our petitions.
Psalm 27:14; Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart, wait, I say, on the Lord.
Psalm 71:14; But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.
Psalm 33:22; Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in you.
The rest of Proverbs 13:12 says, when the desire comes, (what is hoped for), it is a Tree of Life.
It brings help, strength, healing, more assurance in God, joy, peace, life! What a great promise!
Continue to hold on, to hope in the Lord your God, and praise Him, for truly the answers you seek will come to pass.
Gos bles