Hope deferred makes the heart
sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life. (NASB)
What is it that you really desire
in life—that you really hope for? Success, riches, money, power? Or is it
happiness, contentment, joy, peace, patience, understanding, wisdom? I am
passionate about writing this blog and hopefully a couple of books. Before I
“retired” I had hopes of doing well at work, I guess of being “successful.” Although
I was never a certified health physicist, I did enjoy a rewarding career in
that field. Now my desire is just to reach people with the good news, the truth
of Jesus. My hope, my desire is to someday be seated at a banquet table with
lots of friends and family in the presence of our Lord Jesus. That is a
heavenly hope that will never make my heart sick. One thing that does make my
heart sick is the intentional rejection of Jesus. I recently started reading a
fascinating and thought provoking book, Hope Beyond Hell by Gerry Beauchemin and D. Scott Reichard that describes a hope of eternal
life that everyone has based on a misinterpretation in an early Bible
translation by Augustine. Will everyone have a positive outcome in the
Judgment? Only God knows for sure.
The Tree of Life
again is that source of life. All through the book of Proverbs we are told to
look for wisdom as the key to understanding, to knowledge, and to life. What
good is living without life? That is the hope that so many of us have…of living
forever. Most people are so afraid to die---they cling to life---seeking to
make their bodies perfect with good foods, exercise…and then with medications
and operations if living the “good” life doesn’t give them what they desire.
Proverbs 3:18 tells us that Wisdom is the Tree of Life to those who take hold
of it (her) and everyone is happy or blessed when they have wisdom. We are happy and blessed when we really know
Jesus and He gives us eternal life that starts right here on earth. It may not
be a perfect life here. We aren’t promised perfection; we are promised that we’ll
never be forsaken (Hebrews 13:5).
It is the thought of
life without our beloved loved ones, the anticipation of loss of relationships
that defers our hope---and makes our hearts sick. So in seeking wisdom does our
life change so that we can see beyond our earthly relationships?
Lord, give us this wisdom and desire that we would
enjoy living for you and not be afraid of the death of our mortal bodies.
©
2012 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
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