Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life – Proverbs 13:12

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick” means that when our hopes and expectations are delayed or unfulfilled, it can lead to feelings of disappointment and sadness. It highlights the emotional toll of prolonged waiting or unmet expectations on our well-being. The more modernized synonym to this phrase is “promise and fail.”

The phrase “promise and fail” refers to a situation where someone makes a commitment or assurance to do something but then doesn’t follow through on it. It signifies a breach of trust or a failure to keep one’s word. This can lead to disappointment, frustration, and a sense of unfulfilled expectations, especially when someone relies on the promise made. We see in our verse for today that it makes the heart sick.

A few years ago I witnessed a lady sink into depression because her beloved of more than four years left her to marry another person. The young man’s inability to keep to his word brought a great deal of pain to the lady. Our words must mean something if we are going to walk with God faithfully because He considers people who do not live by their words “foolish.” – Ecclesiastes 5:4-5

The second part of our verse, “A longing fulfilled is like a tree of life” captures the essence of fulfillment and the abundance it brings to one’s life. Just as a tree symbolizes growth, strength, and vitality, the fulfillment of our deepest desires nourishes our spirit, provides sustenance, and brings joy. This highlights the importance of integrity and reliability in maintaining trust and credibility in relationships.

In Matthew 5:37, Christ challenges us to let our yes be yes and our no, no. He calls us to avoid saying one thing and doing the other. Let us all challenge ourselves to be people of integrity. Let us see through whatever we promise people and plan doing. It is my prayer that we will all live up to this charge in Jesus name. Amen.