How's your hopes today? I have been wanting to study this subject and get to the bottom of it if I can. Not sure just how much information I can gather on it. But hope that it will be a blessing to all of us.
Have you ever had your hopes all up about doing something or going somewhere and then it didn't turn out? I have and it isn't fun is it? Here's an example from me. I had high hopes that I would sell my home this summer and be able to go visit my eldest son in Missouri and now the summer is nearly over and it hasn't sold yet. Then I read this verse in the Bible.
Proverbs 13:12 "Hope deferred (or postponed) makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life." I take that to mean that when it does come about, it will be a greater blessing than you would expect it to be. I can't wait to see what God has in store for me. I am sure I will be thankful that He waited to sell my home.
For a while my heart was sick because both my son in Missouri and I were really looking forward to spending the summer together, he likes to garden and so do I, but I can't do much any more but I try to do what I can. It was a great hope, but then I read the verse about hope deferred and decided I had better be patient and see what God has in store for me. Which is a lot better than stewing over what hasn't happened.
Lamentations 3:26 "It is good that one should hope and wait patiently for the salvation of the Lord"
So there it is, it is good to hope and wait patiently for the Lord to do His work in and for us. Here's another verse that helps with hope being deferred.
Romans 5:5 "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." And that is so true, when I read about hope being deferred and when the desire came about it would be like a tree of life, I now understand why I was able to get over the disappointment and look forward to a better sale or whatever God has in store.
There is nothing wrong with hoping but we need to be patient with our hopes just in case God has something better planned for us and He never disappoints us. It will be interesting to know just what He has planned for me. I know I won't be disappointed.
How about you, do you have hopes that have been deferred? I am sure that most everyone has and it is so true that it does make the heart sick when it doesn't come to pass like we had planned, but when our desires are realized, it is like a tree of life. What does it mean when it says, 'it is like a tree of life'? I believe it means that it will be something that we will be overjoyed with and glad that we were patient.
Once in a while someone will come and look at the house etc. and I would sort of get my hopes up and nothing happens, so now when someone comes to look, I let them look and leave it with God to do as He pleases with my home. I am positive it will be the best thing that I could have done.
So don't give up, whatever your hopes are, be patient and let God have His way with your hopes and dreams. He will come through if you allow Him to. Grandma Joan
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