Have you ever been heartsick? It’s the worst kind of sickness. The feeling of loss that aches deep in your soul. Often, it comes in the wake of misplaced dreams or desires. However, the greater cut comes after waiting for something you felt God wanted to give you or do for you only to find the wait is longer than anticipated—hope deferred.

We don’t have to look beyond our scripture verse this week to hear the heart cry of Solomon as he describes the difficult journey of hope. It’s not as if all hope is lost. We may still believe the promises of God. The ones whispered into our heart that line up with our God-given desires.

But if what we hoped for is delayed, then disappointment creeps in and gives birth to discouragement. This is when we suffer heartsickness. When fruition of our hope is put on the back burner; deferred for another day, another month, or even another few years.

Hope, by definition, is the expectation of a longing fulfilled. It is typically evidenced by a feeling that is full of anticipation. Eager with pleasure. Our hearts seek it, our minds dream of it, and our souls pine after it. Even so, it’s not so much hope we seek; it is the fulfillment of hope that we seek.

The reference to the tree of life in our verse this week was not lost on me so I did a search so we could understand more about what a longing fulfilled truly means. In Genesis 3:22, we see the tree of life in the Garden of Eden along with the tree of knowledge of good and evil. After the original sin was committed, God removed Adam and Eve from the garden and placed boundaries all around the tree of life in order to preserve the ultimate gift of living forever in the presence of God.

What is important for us to remember is what the tree of life represents. It was a visual representation of God’s plan for His people to live forever in His presence and although it was temporarily confined, it is now our ultimate hope. It anchors us to Christ and everything Christ represents (Hebrews 6:19).

Unfortunately, the reality we experience so often is that hope is fickle when it is set on things of this world.

The bible is full of scriptures on hope, none of which are set on earthly things.

Hebrews 11:1; “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Psalm 42:5; “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

Matthew 12:21; “In his name the nations will put their hope.”

Psalm 25:21; “May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope, Lord, is in you.

Psalm 62:5; “Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.

I am telling you, this is one of the greatest blessings God gives us here on earth—the hope of Him. It anchors our soul strong and firm, and if we can stay tethered to Him, our hope won’t plummet when things get tough. Everything we set our sights on in this life can be filtered through this lens. When we allow this hope to rule and reign in our dreams, our relationships, even our jobs, they tend to fall in line with God’s divine purposes.

Regardless if any of our earthly hopes and desires actually find realization, we need to choose to hope. To believe. To trust. Truth is, we need to be willing to go where God is calling us to go, do what He is calling us to do, and be who He is calling us to be even if hope is delayed.

A great example comes from the book of Daniel when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, three Hebrew men were being threatened by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon to be thrown into a fiery furnace because they refused to bow down to the king’s image. They responded in faith despite their fear and the harsh reality of losing all hope by saying, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” (Daniel 3:17-18).

This is the kind of hope that says, “But even if he does not…come through as I thought, or do what I think he should…I will continue to place my faith in Him, trust Him, and obey Him because I know He is my ultimate hope.”

One thing is for certain, even when hope seems all but lost, don’t miss your blessing. Don’t get weary in well-doing (Galatians 6:9) because our ultimate hope is found in our creator. That, right there, is longing fulfilled, hope realized, and joy unspeakable.

Reflect and Respond:

Misplaced desire for things, people, and accolades of this world will cause pain as we ride the hope roller-coaster. Up one minute when our circumstances teeter on the win; down the next when the bottom falls out. Big picture—challenge everything you are “hoping” for and see if it passes the sniff test. Is your hope in God? In His plans for you? Or are you focussing on things of this world that will only rust and wither?

Hugs for a great week and remember, you are not alone. Be blessed and let your ultimate hope be found in Him.

Scriptures

Hebrews 6:19-20a; “We have this hope as an anchor tor the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus has entered on our behalf.”

Galatians 6:9; “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”