Or, to put it another way,
'When hopes and expectations do not come to pass as expected, or even more importantly, when all the promises you set your expectations on, slowly or suddenly vanish, then the heart gets sick; and that can be a physical sickness as well as mental and emotional trauma.
When someone or something blows your dreams out of the water, it deflates all the wheels of your motivation. You sink under disappointment and even despair. This can lead to depression and anxiety, stress and fatigue.
Yes, fatigue! Suddenly all strength seems to drain from your body. Your energy suddenly vanishes, and it becomes an effort to carry out even the everyday tasks. You wonder why you feel so tired. Body, mind, and spirit, are joined together, and affect each other in ways we might not expect.
It can even go further, with headaches, chest pains, shortness of breath and a multitude of other symptoms. The heart can become physically weakened and create serious problems to your health. Your immune system falls apart in response to the calamity that your mind is registering.
The writer of this proverb (many thousands of years ago) could have been giving a diagnosis for many millions of people suffering from similar symptoms today. When your world comes crashing down around you, when reason and commonsense cannot explain what is happening, the body goes into a 'shock' state through anxiety and astonishment.
That is why the keeping of our word and not breaking promises to one another is so important. Justice and doing what is right can be the health and wealth of another individual, and that will also have a real impact in our own lives to a degree few ever discover.
Of course, the second part of the proverb is what we really need to focus on.
'But when the desired hope or promise comes; when the expectation turns up, even though it got sidetracked, denied, stolen, or simply delayed, it becomes a tree of healing and a tree of life. The past disappointment flies away and the sun rises on you once again bringing health and restoration. It brings the promise and the assurance of all that you believed and hoped for.
We have to learn to look beyond the disappointments and frustrations, and keep moving forward. It is easy just to sit down and give up, but that must never be our action. Don't let the enemy of souls trample you down.
I cannot tell you all the times that I have just walked away from businessmen and business deals where I was instrumental in bringing people together, or was an advisor and integral part of the process for success. When it came to sharing, then the door was closed. And sadly, in every situation bar none, it was church people who denied me any part in the prosperity and blessing that might come about. So, you can see that I do know what I am talking about.
Experience is better than theory books. Experience teaches you the facts. Experience holds you in good stead for the future.
Sometimes it is right just to walk away and get cheated and defrauded (1Corinthians 6:7), but at other times we need to stand up to the injustice and unkindness of those who think they can do as they please. Never be a stoic, but always an optimist working by faith.
If they will not listen to you, then it must be brought before the church, and if that is the case, we should take one of the least esteemed amongst the people to be the judge in the matter. (1Corinthians 6:4-5)
Why does Paul say to choose 'the least esteemed? Because such a person understands justice, and God will give them his wisdom at that moment.
That is why I believe that there is a time when one must 'earnestly contend for the truth', according to James; and he is quite right of course.
We do not have to let people, who claim to be Christians, trample all over us in their unkind and unjust motives. We need to address the wrong-doing and the wrong-doers; and if they claim to be believers and brothers in Christ, then they must be called to account, according to the Scriptures.
If they refuse to come before a gathering of believers (for the church is not a denomination, but all those who belong to Christ, wherever or whoever they may be), then we may consider them to be unsaved and not in the kingdom of God. (Matthew 18:15-17)
Here is where so much misunderstanding occurs. From pastors down to the tea-lady, everyone seems to think that their church, their congregation, is THE church, and this is where all matters of discipline and sorting out of such issues must happen.
When Jesus taught about these matters, there were no church buildings. The church was all those from least to greatest who were called and chosen from before the foundation of the world. Any meeting of true believers is the church, whether that be a meeting in a nice building, a café, or even online. Where two or more are gathered together in the name of Jesus, there is the church.
We are going to judge the world one of these days, so what is the problem with sorting out the injustices that have become all too common among those who claim to follow Christ?
'Do you not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? (1Corinthians 6:2)
Who indeed are we, if we are going to judge the world? What manner of persons must we be in the sight of God?
We are more than what other people think we are.
We live and breathe the air of another kingdom that is higher and more powerful than all the kingdoms of this world! We are kings and priests unto our God, and are ambassadors and emissaries of a royal and eternal dimension.
We walk in authority and power, and carry a name that is above every name. We are not underneath, but above; not the tail, but the head (Deuteronomy 28:13); not simply servants , but the friends and children of the Most High. (John 15:15)
When people do us wrong, they do God wrong. When people despise us, they despise Christ.
Those who make a pretence of being believers had better watch out, for so did Ananias and Saphira! (Acts 5) A return to New Testament truth and New Testament authority is coming. Titles will mean nothing, whether that be 'Apostle', 'Priest', 'Pastor', or whatever.
Enduement with power from on high is what will count. (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8;)
So, finally, let me say, God is able to bring back more than the enemy might have stolen from you. Those that denied you will themselves go nowhere.
God is not mocked, neither is he confounded by feeble men who live but on the borrowed breath of life.
When the world sees that the church people are behaving and living according to what the Bible says, then they may just take a bit more notice of what we have to say.
Pilgrim Warrior
