Hope deferred makes the heart sick. – Proverbs:12a
I stumbled on this verse years ago when something I longed for seemed like a distant dream that would never come to pass. And to be honest, the prospect of my hopes and dreams remaining forever unfulfilled left me empty, sad and occasionally, angry. It also left me feeling a bit guilty; I mean, did God think I was a spoiled brat because I grieved the possibility of loss?
I was pretty sure He did.
But then I read this verse. To me, it was a neon sign telling me “FYI: God Gets It”. God understands when your hopes are delayed or deferred or denied. And God knows it makes your fragile heart a little bit sick.
God is so kind like that. He gets us.
But He also helps us.
Because He loves us.
This week I wrote an article for Crosswalk.com (which is the devotional arm of Bible Gateway) called “Why God Doesn’t (Necessarily) Want You to Pursue Your Dreams”. The topic was assigned to me and honestly, I wrestled over the writing. But the wrestling was good because it helped clarify what to do when dreams seems distant or confusing and why that might be so.
If you’ve been hoping for something that’s been deferred, maybe the article will help you wrestle, too.
I’m sure it will give you perspective. It might even give you hope.
And know with certainty that no matter what you face today, God gets it. Because God gets you.
