Tuesday, December 14, 2010

TREE OF LIFE

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life" (Prov. 13.12) has become another life verse for me. One biblical word for hope (used in Prov. 13.12) originally meant ‘backside’, as in, the backside of the moon or the other side of a coin. When you look at a coin in your hand or the moon in the night sky, you know another side exists, even though you cannot see it.

Hope is often equated with things that we cannot see, like the future. REALITY: There are times when God allows us to see only part of a picture. Paul wrote of this reality, “I only see through a glass dimly but one day, I will see clearly”. REALITY: There are other times when we say we have been given a promise from God yet, the promise is long in coming. Several people in scripture knew of this reality. David, the shepherd boy, had to wait to become king. Abraham had to wait for his promised son, Isaac. Hannah was barren for many years before the birth of her son, Samuel. Moses was in a 40 year preparation time before he would become Israel’s deliverer. The children of Israel lived in 400 years of silence before the silence was broken by the coming of the foretold Messiah. Jesus, seemingly, had a thirty year ‘waiting’ time before his official ministry began.

Why does God, at times, seem to be so S-L-O-W? I do not know. However, I am strengthened by words found in Habakkuk 2.3, “...revelation has an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. I am also encouraged by the promise, ”Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise(Heb. 10.23). Proverbs 13 gives other practical instruction during ‘waiting times’. While waiting we are to: (1) listen with our ears to instruction (v.1)be teachable, (2) guard our mouths—be silent (v.3), (3) starve laziness (v.4)be disciplined, (4) develop a hatred for that which is false (v.5)-be lovers of truth, (5) allow righteousness within us to increase (v.9)-be Godly and, (6) steward wisely the money that we have been entrusted with-be financially smart.

I have more to say about,“a hope deferred” and “a longing fulfilled” but I close with this invitation. Look at the picture on this posting. Take note of the root system from which, the life of the tree exists. QUESTION: What are you deeply rooted in, that is, what is the source or tap root by which everything in your life flows from?

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Some trees are like hourglasses: there's as much root system below ground as the branches above in symmetry. Hope deferred, as a slow train comin', sometimes is very necessary. Weeds grow fast, but oak trees take a long time. It really depends upon purpose, and God is not willing to take shortcuts with eternal beings like us. Waiting is not idleness; it is stewardship of time and energy in the growth phase. Rushing the process leads to ruin. There's a difference between tree farm fast growth hybrids and old growth legacy forests. It's all in the grain of the wood...beauty can't be forced. A few storms don't hurt either...

Bill Effler said...

love your response...much for me, and anyone really, to ponder....

*** said...

Hello: Thank you for your awesome blog - stumbled on it. just wanted to share: Heb. 6:19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the vail, where Jesus has entered as a forrunner of us, having become a high priest foreveraccording to the order of Melchizedek.
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I don't know if you are familia with Ravi Zacharias (Apologetic) He said something interesting:
"I do not have a soul; I AM a soul that has a body". So awesome!
Thanks
Greetings from North Carolina
because of Christ