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Hope Hijacked

by Dale Linton  
9/30/2010 / Bible Studies

The Investment Of Hope


Proverbs 13:12
Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.


How is Hope Deferred?


Decisions made that put our hope in the wrong things causes hope to erode or to be deferred.
Hope is a function of the heart and as the heart sickens or weakens the ability to generate more hope lessens.
The decision making process is a function of the heart and so as the heart sickens or weakens, wrong choices become more predominate.
Hope being placed in the wrong arena due to more wrong choices causes more of our hope being deferred, leading to more erosion of our hope.
So the heart becomes more sick leading to more bad decisions and the cycle continues.
This happens slowly and in an undetectable manner.
This has been likened to carbon monoxide poisoning in that the killer isn't felt, there's no odor, and it isn't visible.

What is The Big Picture?

Hope goes down.
Deceit goes up.

Hope goes down.
Deceit goes up.

Eventually, hope gets so low and judgment calls become so bad, individuals whether by accident or purposefully, self-destruct. This is the aim of the enemy behind this strategy. Always remember this tell tale characteristic in the strategy of the enemy; the victim will always be insidiously and deceitfully progressing in the opposite direction of their goals.

What Other Meaning Does the Word Deferred Have?

Psalms 28:3
Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbors, but mischief is in their hearts


The English translation of the word draw is the same Hebrew word that is translated deferred.
Within the context of the meaning of the word comes an English phrase "a horse drawn carriage"
By understanding another facet of this Hebrew word we can see that hope deferred is hope that's being drawn, pulled or seduced.

What Other Truths Are Being Communicated From This Verse?

The psalmist in this verse is asking God to work in his heart in such a way that defeats any temptation to join the company of the wicked.
We need to understand that this draw which intends to erode our hope and produce more deceit is much stronger than we can control on our own.

How May Hope Hijacked Be Explained More Fully?


All humans are attracted to and stimulated by the things of the earth, or more specifically, the ground.
The common denominator in this attraction and stimulation is this: these feelings fade away and cease to excite us. A car is kept clean and polished for some time after we first purchase it. In time we're throwing french fries on the floorboard. It's important to know that during those times of stimulation we are not thinking about when these feelings are going to go away. In fact it hasn't even occurred to us that these heightened feelings have an expiration date. Why? We are "living for the moment" if you will.Let us reason together: if we are not thinking about the excitement fading then we are unconsciously exercising a level of hope that it won't. We are living like these feelings of attraction will remain indefinitely, so our hope has been engaged to unconsciously believe that everything will remain the same. When those feelings for that new car, house, girlfriend, boyfriend... etc go away..Hope Deferred! Hope Hijacked!
The next step in this parade are increased feelings of want or feelings of lack. Our natural reaction is to choose more of what ultimately didn't feed our desires; and so the process continues. Truthfully , this is what just happened .our hearts sickened even though the heart doesn't recognize any problem with the course of events. Ever so slightly, deceitfulness increased in the heart and the hearts ability to produce hope lessened. This is all under the influence of an enemy that knows we are not aware of these truths.

I have a desire to see the body of Christ edified. Within the broad spectrum of edification I feel there exists a great need and opportunity for spiritual education at foundational levels. Please contact me about speaking at your church. Dale Linton 410-378-5035 or [email protected]

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