Desire fulfilled is a tree of life...
...so says the Bible, in Proverbs chapter 12, verse 13. This is our new postcard, which we are giving to people as an invitation to visit us in church as we meet together on Sunday mornings.
‘Desire fulfilled is a tree of life’ - intriguing, mysterious, and ancient. What’s not so intriguing or mysterious is the verse that comes before it - ‘Hope deferred makes the heart sick’. You keep on hoping that something’s going to change - maybe my relationships will get better, perhaps my sickness will go away, maybe I’ll get out of this rut - but it doesn’t. That’s what makes your heart sick. Up to 20% of people experience symptoms of depression. Ten times more people suffer from major depression now than in 1945. That’s a major sickness. Unfulfilled desires, hopes, dreams, expectations. Traumas, tragedies and tears. Hope deferred does indeed make the heart very sick.
‘...But desire fulfilled is a tree of life.’
I love the Bible. I love the word ‘but’ as it is used here. There’s no hope, BUT there is! The Bible is full of hope, because Jesus is full of hope. You might think he’s dead, BUT he’s alive. You might think he doesn’t care, BUT He wants to fulfil our heart’s desires. And when our heart’s desires are fulfilled, there’s life. New life. A tree of life! A place of healing, shelter and good relationships. Our hearts and lives can begin to find restoration. Why not come to church or contact us - you’ll find that there’s a God who can begin to fulfil the desires of your heart.
Thursday, 28 June 2007