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Hope Deferred

 "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life Proverbs 13:12." The passion translation says, "When hope's dream seems to drag on and on, the delay can be depressing. But when at last your dream comes true, life's sweetness will satisfy your soul."

Why does prayer sometimes leave you feeling heartbroken? Within a month, I will be going to my third funeral. My mind is screaming; this is insanity. My heart, I think, stopped speaking because you can only mourn so much before you start to go numb. Satan keeps pushing my thoughts towards, "Where is your God in this?" For me, he is an idiot because my personality will research and answer questions that come my way. So, where is my God? Here is my answer.
God blessed us with free will, but with choices, there comes the possibility of unfavorable outcomes. It does not matter if something is an accident or a deliberate act; everyone connected to that event is going to be affected by the incident. Because sin came into this world, so did the destruction of life. Everything has an end; that is why God sent His Son so that death would not be the final destination for His children. Sin brought death to earth, but Jesus brought us eternal life. Not one of my friend's eternal destination is in question. Not one! So while I mourn for those left behind and the reality they must walk in every day, my God took care of the final destination.
Yes, Satan will win small battles of fear and loneliness if we allow, but he lost the keys to death! During devotion this morning, I pointed out to my husband how I feel. For the past few months, Rich and I have attempted to get away, including last weekend, to no avail. "Things seems to keep pilling higher and higher, but God has us getting closer and closer." The last statement is where my God is; He is strengthening His people. Unfortunately, that is also a choice. Satan lives to bombard our thoughts with doubt and fear. For me, sometimes it is wearing and unrelenting. It would be nice if a long weekend could fix things, but it can't in life and death situations. With every ounce of being you have, you must dig deep in prayer and walk in faith. I praise God for my army of praying friends. Once again, a gift from God.
Today, if you are worn out and feel hope deferred, ask yourself the same question. Where is God in this? Invite God in the conversation. Satan wants you heartbroken and hopeless. Like my husband and me, you may find things look overwhelming, but God…

Photo by Cristian Newman on Unsplash



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