Chrystal Hurst on Proverbs 13:12: when hope is delayed, it makes the heart sick, but a fulfilled longing becomes a tree of life. Don't abandon hope during the wait. Keep praying, working toward your desires, and choosing joy until God moves.
It is true, this is what Proverbs 13:12 says, that hope deferred makes the heart sick. When you hope for something and it's not coming in your time, it does make you feel some kind of way. But a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. Now here's why you gotta keep hoping. Because if your lack of hope means that you stop looking for it, you stop working for it, you stop praying for it, you stop expecting it, then you're missing out on a longing fulfilled. And you want the, the joy that comes from a longing that you've held for a long time. While it may have been painful to hold on to it, a longing fulfilled is everything. You don't let go of your hope until God releases you from it. You don't let go of your hope until your hope lets go of you, until it's something you just actually don't want anymore. Until then, you choose joy along the way, you grow in patience, and you choose to be faithful in prayer.
