Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life. Those are the words of Proverbs 13:12. Those are King Solomon’s words. Those are God’s words.
Eileen and I have been waiting for something that may not be a big deal to anybody else. But it’s a big deal to us! As a matter of fact, even the fleeting thought that it might not come to pass leaves me tense, perplexed, and generally in a cruddy mood.
And, let’s face it, no one particularly enjoys the “deferred” part. In fact the word means to put off or to drag out. We don’t even like short delays (ever run a “yellow” light?), let alone prolonged delays. Waiting just isn’t our cup of tea, friends. And when we have to keep waiting for something that we really want, it can feel like our heart is being crushed. The greater our desire for the thing we want, the greater our level of frustration when we have to wait for it.
You and I are much like the children of Israel. We get tired of waiting for God to speak, and we end of seeking for cheap substitutes. Before we know it, we let our frustration from waiting get the best of us, and we find ourselves in a place much like the Narnia of C.S. Lewis: “always winter but never Christmas.” In a state of something that feels like exhaustion, not only do we seek those cheap substitutes, but we settle for them.
Unfulfilled longings are a normal part of life. We all grapple with them: everything from seemingly innocuous detours, when it feels like we’re on a roll, to serious and life-altering challenges to our health or finances. So the question is not if, but when. When you and I can’t change our circumstances, that is often a critical place of our spiritual testing.
Testing isn’t often pleasant, but testing also carries with it the potential for tremendous spiritual growth. Lean in! You’ll be surprised what God will show you when you simply admit to Him the deepest desires of your soul. Go ahead and own your aversion to waiting. (He already knows about it anyway.) Ask the Lord to create in you a gratitude for the tree of life that you can’t see with any other eyes than eyes of faith.
I wish I could tell you, when it comes to waiting, that I’m out of the woods. Not so. I’m still no good at not getting what I want when I want it. But I’m learning. I’m stretching. I’m trusting. I may be a sapling, but I’m growing. Even in Christ, I’m growing up.
Perhaps the unfulfilled nature of so many of my desires is all part of the plan. Dan Fogelberg sang of it but missed the main point. I’ll try to not to miss it, and I hope you’ll join me in doing all that we can to get it right, while “some kind of message comes through.”
Here’s what I know: God’s timing is perfect. Always. We can trust Him. Always. His love endures forever. Always.
By the way, it’s only 206 days ’til Christmas.
Pastor Charles
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