“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” –Proverbs 13:12
When God says “No,” it is often perplexing. It is a jolt, a bitter blow to the heart. It is often disappointing and disillusioning – why? God often calls us to let go of the things we thought were his will and move forward in faith, but it often results in a battle of desires.
We tend to see the world (and even God’s will) in terms of what we want and don’t want, rather than what God has or has not called us to. When we are focused on our own desires, God has ceased to be at the center of our thought life. Our desires are not always a foreshadowing of things to come, but a tool in humility that God uses to drive us to greater dependence on him.
I have often found that when I begin to let go of deeply rooted desires, I feel a cavern within my soul, an emptiness. It is a part of my heart that I have filled with something other than God. When the idolatry is cleaned out, it lies void, waiting for something else to come and fill it. Lord, may you fill every part of our hearts and desires!
Part of allowing God to direct our hearts is letting go of the page He is turning and entrust our decisions and affections to the will of God. Sometimes His will can be a mystery and sometimes it can be characterized by the heartache of a “No” to even good desires.
Let not your heart grow “sick” because God is closing a door; remember that your hope has been secured through the finished work of Jesus Christ. If He was faithful to redeem your soul from death, He will be faithful to lead you for your good and His glory!
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” –Romans 15:13
Hope in the Ashes 