Hope Fulfilled

Proverbs 13:12, one of my favorite Scriptures, states, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." God really spoke to my heart a couple days back about this very truth. In essence, the Lord told me that the reason I get frustrated and angry at different levels in my life is because I perceive that situation as an end-all. It was a watershed moment for me. The root of my "sickness" or "frustration" or "anger" was the simple fact that I wasn't operating in hope for a greater tomorrow. It was a behavioral error for me, a learned behavioral error. What a lack of faith!
I believe that if we are going to truly be joyful and at peace in this life, we have to hope. Hope roots us in joy and peace. Without hope, we get discouraged, depressed, and defeated. With hope, we conquer the mundane, we shatter the status quo, and we turn common mindsets into eternal ones. Hope deferred makes our hearts sick, but a longing fulfilled brings life to our dying situations. Truly, Christ has satisfied our deepest desperate longings through the Cross and His resurrection. Just believe.