Proverbs 13:12 (NKJV) — 12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.

Deferred hope, fulfilled desires. Disappointment comes when expectations and desires are delayed, but joy comes when they are fulfilled. Applying the thought of verse 11 here, those who wish to gain their goals quickly are discouraged by waiting. But when people learn to wait patiently while working honestly, their desires will be fulfilled at the right time and in the right way. (See Hebrews 10:35-36.) And properly fulfilled desires are positive and satisfying, like the tree of life.

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