Be careful that your heart does not become sick
But still…
I recently received a message from a good friend who shared her despair with me. She wrote about her longing for a solution and how difficult the waiting was for her. Sometimes she and her husband lie awake at night talking and praying together about the situation they find themselves in. They hope for intervention from our heavenly Father, because the Bible teaches that He has all power in heaven and on earth. But still…
However, when you have to wait a long time and continue to hope without result, it can make your heart sick. You experience deep pain because what you so fervently desire does not come. Proverbs 13:12 expresses this very aptly by stating that prolonged hope makes the heart sick. This has nothing to do with impatience. It is an exhaustion that arises from a kind of marathon of desire.
The silence of heaven
Sometimes we look forward to something small, such as a package that PostNL will deliver within a few days. But there are also requests that we have placed with heaven that we have been waiting for for a long time. The dream has not yet come true, the recovery has not happened, or the life partner you long for has not yet appeared. The silence of heaven then feels like physical pain as time passes.
The Bible describes the heart as the command center of our existence. Your will, your mind, and your hope come together there. When the fulfillment of your desire fails to materialize, it feels as if the engine of your life is breaking down. This is not a lack of faith, but an expression of our human vulnerability. Despondency or emotional burnout are natural reactions to this process. You feel drained and exhausted.
Father’s decision is good
Don Moen sings in a beautiful song that we are treasures in earthen vessels. We must learn to let go when we lose control of the situation. That means giving our desires back to God. Everything our Father decides is good, even if it does not correspond with our own plans. He never leaves us alone. Sometimes our unfulfilled desires block the love and gratitude we feel for Him. We then become so focused on that one goal that our hearts harden.
Letting go
Luke 6:37 says that we must let go in order to be let go. That requires a change of attitude. Can you turn that clenched fist full of anger and disappointment into an open hand? Letting go is not the same as giving up. It is shifting your hope. You can trust that your prayers have been heard, but don’t let disappointment harden your heart. Seek the peace that God wants to give you instead of holding on to the tension.
Of course, not everything you desire will always come true. There are unanswered prayers and situations in families, friendships, or your own body that do not change. Yet our identity is not bound to those unfulfilled desires. We find our security in our citizenship of heaven. God sees the pure gold in us, even when we are standing in the mud of life. Therefore, learn to open that fist of grief so that you can receive His great love and peace.
@wimvanputten