Why Is My Heart Sick?

I was perusing craigslist as a break from grading papers. If you have not visited this online classified website, you have not experienced the thrill of an online garage sale, flea market, and junkyard all wrapped up in one. Actually, there are some really good deals on some nice stuff out there right now. The steep downturn in the economy is requiring many people to sell much of what they have. As I looked at a recurring theme throughout the ads—I need money to pay bills, or I need money for tuition—I was reminded of what my grandmother told me when I was very young. She said stay out of debt and you will be rich. She rather prophetically said, there will come a day when you can drive down the road and see anything you want being sold for a dime on the dollar. If you don’t owe anyone anything, she said, you will be able to afford whatever you want.

Well, I can’t necessarily afford everything I want, but I am amazed at how true what my grandmother said turned out to be. I was then reminded of Proverbs 13:12, Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. How many people are absolutely heartsick today because their hope is in those things they can no longer have. For those whose life has been filled with fun and pleasure but no recognition that all good things come from our Heavenly Father, their hope has been deferred; it has been sidetracked by a world economic situation over which they have no control.

Where is your hope today? If your hope is fully in Christ and the eternal promises he represents for all of us, the deepest longings of your heart are constantly fulfilled. To hope in Him is to embrace hope that will never be deferred. It is a hope that is not subject to this world or any economic crisis this world may experience. Why not exchange a sick heart for a tree of life that never stops bearing good fruit, no matter what goes on around us. 

Most Recent Posts by Mike Hartsfield

• Heroes Do Not Apply! - June 2nd, 2009
• Why Am I Illogically Irrational? - May 26th, 2009
• I Don’t Know Why I Am Afraid! - May 19th, 2009
• Is That What I Said? - April 14th, 2009
• I Mean What I Do, Not What I Say - March 31st, 2009
• Hold On To The Boat - March 17th, 2009