Hope Deferred

"Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life."

Proverbs 13:12

It was the summer of 1969. I was an eight-year-old little girl and I went to summer camp for the first time. Like all little girls, I was in love with horses and the main reason I wanted to go to camp was to ride the horses. It was a Bible camp and I would enjoy the classes and the crafts but my whole week was focused on riding the horse. My parents had given me the $2.00 for the horse ride and I treasured that money like it belonged in Fort Knox.

Finally, the day for the ride came. I ran down to the barn and waited in line for my turn. I would be on the second ride of the day, so I had to wait about 45 minutes. I paced. I craned my neck to search the trail for the returning horses. I kicked the dirt. Then the terrible thing happened. Fooling around, I stepped on a board with a nail in it. The nail went through my tennis shoe and stuck in my foot. One of the horse hands had to pick me up while another on pulled the board loose from my shoe and foot.

As the horses returned, instead of fulfilling my dreams, I was being carried to the first aid station. Thankfully, I had received my tetanus shot the month before, but I still had to sit in the bunkhouse and soak my foot in Epsom salts.

It was horrible. There I was, a little girl, alone and in pain. Worse yet, the trail ride passed right below the windows of the bunkhouse. All the lucky kids were having the time of their lives riding the horses I should be on!!! Woe is me!

Two days later, I got to ride the horse and once again, all was well in my world. But, for a couple of days I was absolutely heart sick. I had looked forward to that ride for weeks and my hope was deferred.

It would be just a funny little story about a little girl who stepped on a nail and didn't get to ride a horse, except that something else happened that week. Remember the brief mention of Bible classes? During one of those Bible classes, the Lord spoke to my young tender heart and I committed my life to serve Him full time.

I still love horses and ride anytime I get a chance, but every single day of my life, I serve the Lord. I may have despaired over missing a horse ride, but the desire that began that week in July in 1969 has been a tree of life since.

Motivation

There is a reason to live right, be nice to people, and "proselytize" or share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Do you really believe there is a heaven and hell? Do you really believe that people die and go to an everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels? Do you believe there is a heaven and that everlasting life is really possible?

Shouldn't you tell someone?



"There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, "Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him."

Jesus answered and said unto him, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Nicodemus saith unto him, "How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?"

Jesus answered, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit."

Nicodemus answered and said unto him, "How can these things be?"

Jesus answered and said unto him, "Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."

John 3:1-21

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Romans 6:23

Wordle

Commitment

"Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words.

"When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands? For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God."

Ecclesiastes 5:1-7

I've been meditating on commitment for many days now. We seem to live in a culture that has abandoned the concept. When I was young, quitting was a shame — not any more. Husbands and wives quit. Parents quit. Children quit. Christians quit.

I've said before that I've been in church almost my whole life. I started out in the church nursery and I've been everything from a deacon's kid to a bus kid to the preacher's wife. Through the years, I have seen literally thousands kneel at an altar and make a commitment to the Lord. Sadly, without a scientific study, I would say that near 90% of those commitments are abandoned. The person who keeps a vow is the rare exception.

But why?

That question is the base of my meditation and I don't know that I have any answers yet.
What do you think? Why do folks not keep the commitments that they make to the Lord.
I know the basic answers like "the cares of this world," "decisions made in haste," "peer presure." But are those the root reasons?

Tell me what you think.

Something is on my heart

And I'm still trying to articulate it. I haven't posted in a few days because I really want to convey the thoughts I have.

In the meantime, think about this:

When you made that commitment to the Lord, did you mean it?

"I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes alway, even unto the end."

Psalm 119:112

As Mount Zion

"They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever."

Psalm 125:1-2

It is such a comfort to me that the LORD is round about me. Today, I want you to meditate on His care and His presence.

The answer

• The question:

"How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved."

Psalm 13:1-4

• The answer:

"But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me."

Psalm 13:5-6

Don't worry about how long. Just trust in His mercy. Rejoice in His salvation. Sing to Him because he has dealt bountifully with you.