Hope Deferred - Dan Hitz

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
    but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

Proverbs 13:12 NIV

All of us at one point or another will experience the crushing that Proverbs 13:12 refers to. It may be the dashed hope of a lost loved one repenting and returning to Christ, unanswered cries for physical healing, or the unfulfilled hope for freedom from painful thoughts that we just can’t seem to shake. We know Jesus could swoop in and change our situation in an instant. But He doesn’t. For whatever reason. Our hopes are deferred. It ain’t happennen… At least for now.

What is our response during those tough seasons? Can we sincerely rest in the Lord, and trust that He is working in our hearts even if we don’t understand why He isn’t moving the way we think He should? Do we get ticked off at Him? Are we like the man who seemingly waits in vain at the pool of Bethesda for 38 years, not even sure why he’s still there? Can we trust that in spite of the unanswered prayers… the deferred hope… for whatever we are longing for, the Lord is doing something deeper in our hearts that is much more important that the thing we are immediately focused on. Most of the time He doesn’t share the details. Sometimes, years down the road, we realize what He was doing in while we were in the wilderness. Sometimes we never figure it out. No matter the case, He is faithful. He does care about you and has your best interested at heart. May our hearts remain open to Him, even when we don’t understand Him.

I’m in a season now where the Lord is beginning to revive lost hope. There was a desire and vision that I truly believe the Lord placed in my heart. It was precious to me. It was also dashed to pieces. Very small pieces. Not only was hope deferred, it was lost. My heart was sick. In some ways, it is still healing. And now, I see the Lord beginning to set things in order to step once again into that vision. At times I find myself excited that He is resurrecting things. Other times, I find myself afraid to hope again. I don’t want my hopes dashed. I don’t want to run ahead of Him, pull a Moses, and spend 40 years wandering the wilderness. I don’t want to pull an Abraham and create an Ishmael. But I do want the Lord to do whatever it is that He wants to do in my heart and my life.

If you’re like me, you may sense a pain in your heart when you see others stepping into their vision. Part of you is happy for them, yet part of you still feels the sting. You may wonder why it isn’t you. Try to remember during those times that you are seeing their excitement. You aren’t seeing the years of deferred hope and painful losses that they likely experienced while they were waiting to be in the place they are now. If you know them well enough to ask them, they may be able to share some of those details with you. In time, they may even be able to share some of the deeper things the Lord was doing in their hearts during their time of waiting.

If you’re in a long, drawn-out season of waiting, I hope you can take some time to sit quietly with the Lord and focus on Him rather than the things you wish He would do. Admit any bitterness you may have. Ask Him to show you some of the deeper things He is doing in your heart. Ask Him to help you focus on some of the good things He is doing in your life right now. If you can’t come up with anything good, ask Him to comfort your heart and help you accept the situation you are in now. That doesn’t mean that you pretend a bad situation is good. It means that you ask God for the grace to endure your situation while He shows you how to navigate through it. Remember, He loves you. He is working on something much deeper and much more important in your heart than the thing you are immediately focused on. That’s a difficult concept to grasp. It takes much grace. But it is true.

In 2006 I wrote an article called “Hope Deferred. Hope Displaced”. Through the years, it has been one of the most read articles in our archives. It might help you. You can find the article by clicking here.

Are You in a Spritual Drought?

When the Lord allows you to go through a spiritual drought, you can either let your roots grow deeper in Him, or spray yourself with Roundup and become a tumble weed.

We all pass through times when it seems like the Lord is nowhere to be seen, he isn’t speaking, and we really aren’t sure if what we do has any meaning. Spiritual droughts are frustrating. Maybe you were excited as the Holy Spirit spoke some great promises to your heart. As the months… and years went on… things happen. The next thing you know it seems like you’re spending 40 years far out in the wilderness like Moses (Exodus 2-4). You’ve had some great victories, but all of a sudden it seems hopeless and you’re running like Elijah (1 Kings 19). As restlessness sets in, we can be tempted to kick a few doors open. To make something happen. Remember Abram and Sarai (Genesis 16)? That didn’t go so well.

In times of spiritual drought, it is important to stay the course, to remain faithful to the last words, the last instructions, the Lord spoke to you. Even though it seems like He’s a million miles away, it is important to draw nearer to the Lord and allow the roots of your faith to grow deeper. This feels so counterintuitive. We may not sense the Lord’s presence, but He is there drawing us into a deeper relationship. He is a faithful father who gives good gifts to His kids. Sometimes us kids get more focused on the gifts than the Father who gives them. Sometimes we get more focused on the calling than the one who gave the call. It is actually God’s mercy that brings the drought and draws us back to the One who gives life. His refining fire – or root deepening drought – purifies our hearts and brings us back to the most valuable calling of all… that we love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind (Matthew 22:37).

If you’re in the middle of a spiritual drought, don’t try to twist God’s arm and make something happen on your own. Don’t try to numb the restlessness with sin. That equates to giving up and spraying yourself with Roundup. It dries up our hearts even more. Our roots become brittle. We are at risk of becoming a tumbleweed and being blown further out into the wilderness. Instead, go against the forces of nature and continue to seek the Lord with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. He wants to strengthen your roots and wrap your heart around Him, more than His promises.

If you’re in the middle of a spiritual drought, we’d love to pray for you. Send us an email at info@recmin.org and let us know how we can pray. We would be glad to do so.