Recall the joy of getting or achieving something you’ve long desired. That feeling of joy is the focus of a pair of Proverbs. “Hope delayed makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12, CSB) And, “Desire fulfilled is sweet to the taste, but to turn from evil is detestable to fools.” (Proverbs 13:19, CSB)
The longer something is hoped for, the more sadness or despair it may bring. Or a delay could also create a firm resolve. It really depends on the surety of the promise that hope is anchored to. We may despair of ever getting a long hoped-for promotion, but are sure of our hope in Christ. But when that hope is realized, that is sweetly fulfilling.
The second proverb is a bit of a puzzle. The phrases don’t seem to go together. “Desire fulfilled is sweet to the taste, but to turn from evil is detestable to fools.” You could look at it this way. Foolish folks have a desire, but won’t turn away from the things working against that desire. They want a promotion, but badmouth the boss. They want to complete their education but make poor use of their time. They want friends but never talk to anyone.
So, the first question is, how are we sabotaging the fulfillment of our own desires? To answer that, we must consider what we truly desire and hope for. There are many sizes of hope. Let’s consider what we are praying for. That motivation to pray about something reveals its importance to us. Now, is there any way we are sabotaging God’s answer?
How would we sabotage God’s answer to our prayers? Unforgiveness is one way. “For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well. But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your offenses.” (Matthew 6:14–15, CSB) Unrepentant sin will always get in the way. “Repent and turn from all your rebellious acts, so they will not become a sinful stumbling block to you.” (Ezekiel 18:30b, CSB) Those two cover a lot of ground.
An answered prayer is fulfilling and sweet. And yet, it doesn’t take long for us to forget God’s goodness. One way to retain that joy is by sharing it. Another is something like a prayer journal. Some desires and hopes do take longer; some may take a lifetime. Savoring the joy of fulfilled hopes and prayers reduces the heartache of those yet unfilled. God is Good.
- Proverbs – Fufilled Desires - March 9, 2026
- Essential Worship – A Worship Map - March 4, 2026
- Proverbs – Anxiety - March 2, 2026
