“Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but when dreams come true,
there is life and joy.”
Proverbs 13:12
Having a dream come true is thrilling, but having a dream unfilled or delayed can be a discouraging reality. Often people begin to think they will never find a mate or the job they have worked so hard to achieve. As time passes, it becomes easier to believe the dream will never become reality. They give up or settle for less. If only they had waited just a little longer on the dream God placed in their heart.
When our dreams are deferred, we often quickly draw the conclusion it will never happen or it is “the end.” There is a big difference between “the end” and deferring. “To defer” means “to postpone.” Simply put, it means, that which was promised will not happen right now but it will at a future time.
There are people throughout the Bible who were given a promise, a dream or a covenant by God. Delays happened and they had to wait for many years before the fulfillment. Hebrews 6:15 states, “Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised.” Abraham waited twenty-five years for his promised son, Isaac, to be born. Abraham’s promise did come true and his descendants are too numerous to be counted.
There are many reasons why our dreams are postponed until a future time. Sometimes it has to do with getting us ready, getting our souls healed, or getting us into alignment with God’s plan. For the most part, it has to do with God’s timing and “the big picture.” Think about the dreams and promises of Abraham, Joseph, Jacob, and many others. If any of these promises had been completed prematurely, the results could have been disastrous. They could have missed the very opportunity for which the promise was meant. For example, there was a thirteen-year delay in Joseph’s dream of him ruling over his brothers. Joseph was sold into slavery, falsely accused and thrown into prison. Some may have thought this was the end for Joseph, however, they could not see the big picture. These events allowed Joseph to be in the right position as a ruler of Egypt during seven years of famine. His dream manifested when his brothers traveled from Israel to Egypt and unknowingly bowed before him to request provisions. In Genesis 45:4-5, he said, “I am Joseph, your brother whom you sold into Egypt. But don’t be angry with yourselves that you did this to me, for God did it.He sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives.”
Let us look at Hebrews 6:17-18, “God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. So God has given us both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie…” Interestingly, there is no record of Joseph complaining during his unfair and unjust circumstances. Instead, he was blessed of the Lord and was given responsibilities over the entire prison. Joseph had confidence in God because of the promises made and kept with his forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Like Joseph, when our vision, prophetic word or promise is delayed, God still keeps his end of the deal; his promise and oath are unchangeable. Like Abraham, we can wait patiently, even if it takes years for the birth of a covenant. Like Jacob, when we wake up to a broken promise, we can hold on and work to see it fulfilled. Remember, “…we who have fled to him for refuge can take new courage, for we can hold on to his promise with confidence. This confidence is like a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls” (Hebrews 6:18-19). God’s dream, his plan, in his time will come true!
Imagine the sound as the children of Israel sang Psalm 126:1-6 on their ascents up to Jerusalem, “When the LORD restored his exiles to Jerusalem, it was like a dream! We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy. And the other nations said, “What amazing things the LORD has done for them.” Yes, the LORD has done amazing things for us! What joy! Restore our fortunes, LORD, as streams renew the desert. Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.”
In the midst of your delayed hope, keep believing, hold on to your dream and let your heart (mind, emotions and will) sing! Think of the life and joy waiting when your dreams do come true!
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
© 2009 – Karen R. Power. All rights reserved.
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