Hope Deferred

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12 (NIV)

Hope is a fickle friend. I’m speaking of earthly hope, the kind that makes us dream about happily-ever-afters and blue skies somewhere over the rainbow. Human hope looks forward with optimism and anticipation, seeing promise and prospects. Unfortunately, that same hope can bring about sorrow and heartbreak when it is delayed or destroyed.

You and I know about unfulfilled hopes. They can cause intense pain. So, where does this leave us? Should we stop hoping and throw our hands up in despair? Absolutely not! Hope is what gets us out of bed each morning and provides us with the energy and drive to keep moving forward. Hope factors God into the equation. Hope believes and clings to the truth that God can do far more than we could ever imagine (Ephesians 3:20).

In her book, It’s Not Supposed To Be This Way; finding unexpected strength when disappointments leave you shattered, author Lysa Terkeurst states, “Hoping doesn’t mean I put myself in harm’s way. It doesn’t mean I ignore reality. No, hoping means I acknowledge reality in the very same breath that I acknowledge God’s sovereignty… My hope is tied to the unchanging promise of God. I hope for the good I know God will ultimately bring from this, whether the good turns out to match my desires or not.”

I really like that last sentence – whether the good turns out to match my desires or not. Ultimately, the hope we have in Christ is a hope that anchors us to God’s sovereign design rather than our own expectations. And this kind of hope is a tree of life, bringing momentum and strength to carry us through even the hardest days.

Thought: “Hoping means I acknowledge reality in the very same breath that I acknowledge God’s sovereignty.” Lysa Terkeurst