In today’s reflection, we read Proverbs 13:12,
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life,”
This story reminds us of the story of Zachariah and Elizabeth, as recounted in Luke 1. They longed for a child and prayed earnestly, yet years passed with their hopes unmet.
One day, while serving in the temple, Zachariah encountered an angel who brought the unexpected news that Elizabeth would bear a son.
Obviously, Zechariah and Elizabeth had prayed for a son years earlier, but there had been no baby to come into their lives. Zechariah said, “I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years.” They had waited year after year until they were heartbroken, disillusioned, and finally had given up.
Today, we know that son as John the Baptist. Their prolonged wait was a journey through the heartache of deferred hope, but it concluded with the immense joy of a fulfilled desire.
Years ago, my 12-year-old daughter, Janet, and I took a Christmas shopping trip. She spotted a toy she desired and asked for it. Knowing I had already purchased it, I said, “We’ll see.” Her dejected response was, “I know what that means. It means no.” I answered that with, “Honey, you have to be more positive than that.” She said, “I am positive that means no.’
A delayed answer feels like a denial or as the Bible says, “hope deferred makes the heart sick.”
Zachariah and Elizabeth’s story reminds us that our timing doesn’t always coincide with God’s. Our prayers may seem unanswered in our moments of impatience, but they are not unheard. God’s responses to our prayers—whether a “no,” a “yes,” or a “wait”—are all part of a greater plan, teaching us patience and trust.
I’m Lonnie Davis.
And these are thoughts worth thinking.