Introduction
Before getting into the meaning of Proverbs 13:12, here’s different Bible translations:
King James Version
Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.
American Standard Version
Hope deferred maketh the heart sick; But when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.
World English Bible version
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when longing is fulfilled, it is a tree of life.
Proverbs 13:12 Meaning & Commentary
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12 (ESV)
Hope is one of the primary foundations for life. Hope keeps us motivated, keeps us living to fight another day, and gives us a reason to look ahead.
It has been said that when someone loses hope, they are in danger of taking their life. It is a dangerous place to be when there is no hope. When someone loses all hope, they have nothing to look forward to – no vision of a better tomorrow.
In fact, The Bible tells us that Faith is the substance of things hoped for: Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. This tells us that hope comes before faith – we hope for something – IE: that we will be healed, and we then place our faith in God for that healing.
Proverbs 13:12 tells us that when hope is deferred, it makes the heart sick. Deferred means to put off until a later date or to postpone something. Because hope is, in many ways, the foundation for living – and for faith, when what we hope for does not materialize, it can very negatively affect us! It can dimmish our hope for anything else.
However, a desire (or hope) that is fulfilled motivates us to hope for more – to continue dreaming and trusting God for more in our lives. It becomes a “tree of life,” as Proverbs 13:12 tells us. It nourishes our souls and energizes us. We begin to think that if God did something great in my life last year, why can he not do it this year and the year after? A tree of life symbolizes something we “eat” from, which causes us to be strengthened, emboldened, and empowered! As we see the desires of our hearts begin to be realized, we are encouraged and motivated to keep pressing on!
Application
How can we practically apply Proverbs 13:12 to our lives?
We all have hopes in life. Some of these hopes may be the same for many people, like hoping to have a happy family or to be financially stable. However, there are specific hopes that each person has – others may not know or understand them, but God does! We can interchange the words “hope” and “desire” since they are closely intertwined.
God makes it clear that he intends to fulfill the desires of our hearts: Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. There is, however, a condition to this promise – delighting ourselves in God.
When we search scripture, we do find God’s way of seeing our desires met. Firstly, we need to ensure that God is The Lord of our life and that we seek His Kingdom and way of doing things. Then, we need to mix our desires with faith – which comes by hearing and hearing by The Word of God. Then, we must mix it with perseverance and stay the course – however long it may take!
The Bible tells us to imitate the great heroes of faith who have gone before us as examples of inheriting God’s promises: Hebrews 6:12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
If we have already seen God come through for us and meet our desires, we must actively call these moments and times to mind. The Bible tells us to observe what we set our mind on and mediate about: Phillipians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
If we have numerous desires which God has met, we need to actively call these to mind – it will strengthen and encourage us and give us increased faith and hope for the future!
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I thank You for faith and hope in my life. I know these two forces give me strength for the days ahead. I thank You for where you have already fulfilled the desires of my heart, and I thank You that you still intend to do it as well.
I ask you to help me focus my thoughts on Your goodness and Your Grace. Help me to also be a source of hope to others who may be feeling hopeless. I ask this now in Jesus’ name. Amen!
