Proverbs 13:12

hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
proverbs 13:12

i love this verse.  i know the book of proverbs is known for its quips of wisdom.  line after line, it plainly states truth about the human nature and admonishes real fulfillment. 

it calls out the dangers of a naive/foolish heart while also pointing out the source of real joy.  when discouraged, this book offers peace.  when joyful, it reminds one why they have joy.  it's powerful in its bits of poetic verse.

over and over again, it references the danger of deep sadness (i call this depression) and the tole it takes.  (prov 15:13, 14:13)  i love this because of its honesty.  "Hope deferred makes the heart sick..." (prov 13:12a)

but then offers, "but desire fulfilled is a tree of life."  (prov 13:12b)  This portion reminds me of psalm 37:3-6:

trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
delight yourself in the Lord
and He will give you the desires of your heart.
commit your way to the Lord,
trust also in Him, and He will do it.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light
and your judgment as the noonday.

i've had hope deferred for lengthy periods of time.  it is heartbreaking and it felt like i had a broken spirit (prov 15:13).  and often times, as the time drags on, i loose sight of what i really desire.  was i thankful for what God had supplied for me?  definitely.  but was i joyful and excited about life?  no.  sometimes i was merely in survival mode; just pushing through each day. 

and then God surprises me with a gift.  something i hadn't considered or it never occurred to me to request of Him.   that is the "tree of life" in verse 12.  like the spring each year, life begins to bloom! 

the word "hope" is mentioned in my NAS bible 146 times.  in the NT, it is a hope based on Christ.  that if we have hope in anything, its surely Him. 

as a follower of Christ, i never lost hope in the salvation of Christ or that someday i'd be with God in heaven.  that foundation is not shaken.  but somehow, it's so easy to be convinced that God doesn't love us a much as other people or that we don't deserve good things.  but He promised His love for us while we remain on earth. 

the Lord your God is in your midst,
a victorious warrior.
He will exult over you with joy,
He will be quite in His love,
He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.
(zeph 3:17)

so, how then can anyone think they are exempt from His tremendous love?  

when life is taxing, dark and depressing for lengthy periods of time, we can lose the hope for a fulfilling future.  sometimes this is a physiological issue.  and sometimes its the result of a painful time in person's life.  either way, i know it's temporary. 

...His favor is for a lifetime.
weeping may last for the night,
but a shout of joy comes in the morning.
(psalm 30:5)

for any of you that a hurting, may i remind you that it's temporary?  hope that is deferred will return when God presents to you your own tree of life.  we must keep encouraging each other.