Hopeless or Hopeful?

Hope...such a small word, but it's packed with so much power!  Have you ever been hopeful and happy only to be let down?  For instance, have you ever been excited and ready for pay day?  You know which bills need to be paid, you have planned out your shopping list, and spotted a cute new pair of shoes!   Only to find out that your check was WAY less money than you anticipated!  Talk about a sick feeling!  

Proverbs 13:12 tells us that hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire is fulfilled, it is a tree of life.  The funny thing about a 'sick heart' is that it is an invisible hurt/sickness.  No one is aware just by looking at you and there is no medicine you can take to make the pain go away.  You just feel it and deal with it deep down on the inside.  There are many different things that can leave you with a 'sick heart'; perhaps, a broken relationship, being overlooked or unappreciated at work or church, gossiping "friends", or even hurtful family members.  No matter the cause, losing hope in people and/or situations is often our first reaction.  Which can leave one struggling to cope.

I think the most encouraging part of the verse states '...but when the desire is fulfilled...', because that reassures us that if what we desire is part of God's Will for our lives, He will make sure that it is fulfilled!  That means that no matter what it looks like, if it's in His plan, it will happen!  The last part states that '...it is a tree of life', which suggests that it will be a fruitful, enjoyable, and vital outcome.  While that is exciting news, what do we do to go from feeling hopeless to feeling hopeful?  Here are a few things to help start the process:

By putting H.O.P.E. into practice, one day the desire will be fulfilled, your heart will no longer be 'sick' and you will be glad you waited on the Lord!  Let Him Heal your soul!

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Your Sister in Christ,

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, we thank you for caring about what concerns us.  I pray you return hope to every reader that may be feeling hopeless.  Give them the patience to wait on You and fulfill the desires they have that align with Your Plan.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.