When Your Hope Must Wait

Jesus promises that He will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). But sometimes God allows tough circumstances in your life to demonstrate to you and those around you His majesty, power, glory, holiness, and faithfulness.

Often we don’t recognize that God allows adversity in our lives because He loves us. It’s for our good. It’s meant to help you mature and become like Christ.

Proverbs 13:12 tells us, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.”

Sometimes it’s easy to get a sick heart, especially when you’ve been hoping, praying, believing, and doing everything you’re supposed to be doing — and you still don’t see the answers to your prayers.

Maybe you’ve been hoping for God to send you a spouse, restore a broken relationship, reach a wayward son or daughter, heal a sick loved one, deliver you from an addiction, or give you a financial breakthrough.

Perhaps you’ve grown weary and heartsick because you still haven’t seen the fulfillment of your hopes and prayers.

Don’t Give Up: God is Growing You for Greater Things

This is a time when faithfulness must be demonstrated. Even though you are in dark times, God assures you, “I am with you always, even to the end of the ages” (Matthew 28:20). You must demonstrate that you are faithful to His Word.

Just as God created you, He created all of nature. And in nature there is a certain type of bamboo plant that is planted as a sprout. Although it’s faithfully watered and cared for, this plant shows no growth at all during the first year. Even in the second, third, and fourth years, there are no signs of growth. Despite the best efforts to care for the plant, it still doesn’t look like anything is happening.

Just when it looks like all is hopeless for this plant, something amazing happens. In the fifth year, the plant grows 90 feet in just about five weeks!

Perhaps you’ve been waiting for your answered prayer for what seems like a number of years. Don’t lose heart! Your breakthrough may be just ahead.

If you have a sick heart today because your hopes haven’t been realized, the Bible reminds you, “Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Galatians 6:9).

Don’t become weary or heartsick as you wait for God’s answers. God is faithful, He may be growing you for greater things!

Find Peace with God