There is a proverb that says, 'Hope deferred (postponed, held back, appearing too high to attain) makes the heart sick.'
How true a proverb! Disappointment and disillusionment have a real impact on the heart (and by that the writer refers to the soul of man; that which we call the 'heart' when we talk about something which we cannot quite put our finger on, but everyone knows what we mean).
When we say that we love someone with 'all our heart', or we believe with all our heart, we are not referring to the physical pump inside our chest, but something much deeper, perhaps emotional, from our soul, or even something deeply spiritual.
When we are expecting something good to happen and are really believing that good is coming our way, whatever it may be, and our hopes are suddenly dashed, then it affects us in different ways. When it says 'it makes the heart sick', it implies that deep within we become 'weak, diseased, wounded, sore, pained'.
It is a soul-destroying feeling that is hard to understand or deal with. It changes our mood and disposition from hope and joy to despondency and a dissolving of our spirit within.
It can also lead to a physical manifestation of the same, and bring pain to our physical well-being. Along with the anxiety and stress that it causes, our physical hearts may become weak and sick. Such loss of hope can take away all of your strength and impact your immune system negatively.
Fortunately the proverb does not end on that note, but brings a huge sigh of relief in its second phrase: 'But when the desire comes (is achieved), it is a tree of life!'
In Psalm 107 the writer speaks of the experience that sailors know when out on the open seas. 'They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; these people see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep. For he commands, and raises the stormy wind, which lifts up the waves of the ocean. The ship mounts up to the heaven, then they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.
It shows the frightening minutes when the ship is tossed high on the tempestuous waves, and then suddenly plunges down into the troughs of despair.
Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he brings them out of their distresses. He makes the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he brings them to their desired haven.
There is a similarity between both of these two passages. Hope rises to the sky when promises are in the air, but plummets like a jet without engines when the same hopes suddenly dissolve in front of us. Most of us know what I am talking about and have experienced the effects of such times.
'But when the desire comes (when the hope and dream finally comes into our hands) then it is indeed a tree of life.' This tree of life brings healing in its leaves and nourishing fruit on its branches. It quickly and wonderfully refreshes our lives with relief and rest. We soon forget the night of trouble as a new dawn spreads its sunshine across our paths.
If you know something of hopes being delayed or seemingly lost, to be drawn out for too long, or even to have become virtually impossible, then just do what the sailors did. 'Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distresses, shut down the storm, and speeded them to the fulfilment of their hopes.
You can spend your days moaning about everything and only seeing the grey skies; you can look on the dashed expectations, and live in despair.
Or you can take note of what the Bible teaches in these two passages. Yes, sometimes hopes are deferred, delayed, even for more than a few weeks or months, but the scriptures tell us to 'Hope thou in God.'
'Why are you cast down, O my soul? and why are you disquieted in me? Hope in God, O my soul: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his presence and his face looking upon me with favour and prosperity.' (Psalm 42:5)
For when (not if) the desire comes, and the hope is in hand, it shall be a tree of life.
Never give in. Never surrender to doubt and unbelief. God is faithful who promised.
'Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God.' (William Carey 1792, English Missionary to India)
