Daily Inspiration
Hope Deferred Makes The Heart Sick
Have you experienced the pain of hope deferred? It’s a heart-wrenching ache, a heavy weight, that drags down the heart with each passing moment that dreams remain unfulfilled. Perhaps you’ve been waiting for a promise, a breakthrough, direction, or guidance from God, and in the quiet of your heart, you struggle with a mix of hope and despair. You are not alone.
Proverbs 13:12 says: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” This Proverb encapsulates a profound truth about the emotional turmoil that arises when hopes and aspirations seem to be shattered by the relentless march of time, leaving us in a state of longing and uncertainty that gnaws away at our spirits with each passing moment. I’ve been there…we’ve all been there. It’s important to understand that God is not deferring or delaying our hope, or causing our hearts to be sick.
But why is hope deferred, and why would God not step in, knowing that it makes the heart sick? Have you noticed that when hope is deferred, when our deepest desires languish in a state of perpetual anticipation, our attentiveness shifts away from God’s timeless presence to the relentless ticking of time? Moses used a simple yet profound analogy in describing the timelessness of God: “A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by…” (Psalm 90:4). In other words, when we’re waiting on hopes, dreams, or needs to be fulfilled, we aren’t just waiting on God, we’re waiting in God…in God’s timing.
Our hearts grow sick when we confine an infinite God to our time schedule. In those moments, time is not the enemy; time is the indicator that our hope, dream, or need requires us to learn, grow, or seek understanding to keep moving forward towards fulfillment. Like you, I’ve experienced many battles with heart sickness and through them all, I’ve learned that heart sickness isn’t because God is deferring or denying our hope, but rather because He is gently nudging us from the comfortable familiarity of our own timelines into a more profound relationship with Him, allowing faith to be forged anew in the crucible of waiting.
You might be wondering, “What could be more meaningful than fulfillment if hope deferred makes the heart sick?” That’s where sacred tension comes in. When we perceive that our deepest desires are languishing in a state of perpetual anticipation, time starts to play tricks on our minds, and we begin to lose hope, trust, and faith in God and His timing. When we are in God’s timing, hope is not deferred; hope is deferred when we put our faith in our timing. God’s timing is not the enemy of hope; God’s timing prepares us for what we’re hoping for and what our hope requires of us.
God gave Noah the vision and the blueprint to build the Ark, but God didn’t tell Noah how long it would take to complete building the Ark — 100 years. At 18, God gave Joseph a dream, a palace dream, but God didn’t tell Joseph how long it would take to fulfill the dream. Why does God not use our timing or our schedule for the fulfillment of His promises? Because we are not working or waiting in our time; in those intervals, God is nudging us gently away from counting days with thirsting eyes, and merely fixating on the passing of time–to something infinitely more meaningful than fulfillment itself.
Listen to what the bible tells us about the time between Joseph’s dream and the fulfillment of his dream: “Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the LORD tested Joseph’s character” (Psalm 105:19). This bittersweet truth reminds us that while hope fuels our motivation and ignites passion within us, it’s in the in-between time that God is growing us, working out those fears, doubts or beliefs that hinder us from walking by faith and not by sight, and trusting Him when we can’t see what He’s doing. When we walk through a season of hope, God is growing us to fulfillment.
How do we nurture our hope? When circumstances conspire against us or time stretches endlessly without fulfillment, it’s crucial to remember that God’s word said hope does not disappoint: “And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:5). When the heart begins to grow weary or sick in our season of hope, it’s not hope that causes our heart to become sick, it’s transferring our focus from God and what He is requiring of us, to time.
As we navigate these challenging waters, enlisting support from trusted friends, mentors, or wise counsel (Proverbs 11:14, 24:6) can provide fresh perspectives and encouragement—reminding us we’re not alone in our struggles. These relationships can illuminate paths previously overlooked and provide invaluable guidance for navigating our season of hope. The sacred tension between hope and fulfillment will demand our continued resolve to reflect on our hopes and desires, as well as the reasons behind setbacks. Perhaps our goals, desires, or plans need refinement, or perhaps our understanding or clarity needs to align more closely with our current realities or the requirements for progress and fulfillment. Continuously seeking clarity and understanding in our season of hope allows us to shed unrealistic timelines that may have contributed to feelings of disappointment.
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).
Psalm 31:15 is a prayer that says, “My times are in Your hand.” In other words, time will make the heart sick if we allow ourselves to let time use us rather than committing ourselves to using time to seek God, wisdom, and understanding. Time becomes a gift, a blessing, for our hope when we make use of time: “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time…He has made everything beautiful in its time” (Ephesians 15:15-16, Ecclesiastes 3:11).
The bible tells us: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1); faith is the substance of our hope, not time.
In our season of hope, faith is the antidote for heart sickness. Faith in God’s timing, faith in the process, and faith in our ability to seek understanding that will move us forward. It’s not always easy; the wait can feel like an overwhelming weight. When time starts to play tricks on you and your heart feels sick, I want you to put your trust in this: when Lazarus was buried, his family thought all hope was lost. Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it…Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” (John 11:4, John 11:40). Your heart sickness will not end in the death of your hope; if you bleive, if you seek, if you trust in the process, you will see the glory of God!
Maybe you’re in that place where time is making your heart sick, or time is taking a toll on your emotions. Maybe you don’t know where or who to turn to for the right help, support or transformational biblical principles to help you navigate your season of waiting with clarity and confidence. If this is you, I want to invite you to join me for a life-changing workshop, Level Up Your Life. This 5-week virtual workshop is designed to give you the support, clarity, and powerful, practical biblical principles to achieve massive change, deep healing and accelerated growth in the shortest amount of time. If 2026 is your year of change, if victory is not an option for you, register today and give yourself the gift of help that you deserve!
Patrick
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