Hope Fulfilled

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
HOPE FULFILLED
Prov 13:12
12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.
NIV
I want to spend my time thinking about the tree of life, but I think I should see how the sick heart happens first. So many of these sayings of God demonstrate contrast between the righteous and the wicked and I am convinced this is one more of them. People who put their hope and trust in the things of this world will no doubt find disappointment. I hear so much talk from people who do not accept the message of the Gospel about going to heaven after death. It is like no one ever goes to hell, except the really bad people who commit grievous crimes. But I do not think they know what they hope for will not occur. Their hope for eternal life without God will be not only be deferred but denied. It does not have to be that way for them, but if they chose to continue to live for self while thinking that is alright and God allows everyone to enter in to his paradise upon death, they are doomed to having that hope deferred. Now because I and for that matter anyone who is willing, have accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior I long for the paradise of God. This longing for being in his paradise will not be deferred nor denied. I will stand in this paradise and in fact eat from that tree of life. It is one of my rewards spoken about in the letters to the churches for being an overcomer. I have overcome the desires of this world; I do not find comfort in the accumulation of things as I do in the fulfillment of knowing I will live forever in the paradise of God. In fact because I long for him and his kingdom, he has blessed me with many things here on the earth. How I use them is key to and associated to my longings and hope. If I use them simply for my own self gratifications I have truly missed the point. All I have is because of the hand of God. I believe I am obligated to tell that story, giving him all the glory and honor for my life and who I am and what I have. That is why in my writings I share all those personal stories about his blessings in my life. I give him the glory. I hope for his return, I hope for his Kingdom, I hope for the day I stand in his presence, I hope for his paradise and the rewards I will enjoy just being there. My hope will be fulfilled.