Be Still, Advent Day 4: This is Why Hope Deferred Makes the Heart Sick

Catch up on all of the Be Still Advent readings here.

Genesis 18:10-15

“Then he said, ‘I will certainly return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.’ Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age. Sarah laughed within herself, saying, ‘After I have grown old, will I have pleasure, my lord being old also?’ Yahweh said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh, saying, “Will I really bear a child, yet I am old?” Is anything too hard for Yahweh? At the set time I will return to you, when the season comes around, and Sarah will have a son.’ Sarah denied it, saying, ‘I didn’t laugh,’ for she was afraid. He said, ‘No, but you did laugh.’”

Galatians 4:4

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law.”

Unanswered Prayers

Sarah’s laugh is a profound psychological moment. It mirrors the conflict we have when we we think our prayers go unheard. Sarah wasn’t laughing for joy at the prospect of finally being able to give birth. It was a laugh laced with sarcasm and disbelief, the bitter echo of years spent waiting for a promise that had not yet arrived — and, in human terms, was already an impossibility.

Understanding Proverbs 13:12

For a long time, I felt a lot of heartbreaking anger over Proverbs 13:12: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” No kidding. So why doesn’t God just answer my prayer right now? Even he knows that this waiting is making me sick.

I finally understood that this verse from Proverbs is a call — a challenge. God is giving us an option — We can either hope for something, or we can root our prayer in him. Hoping is weak. It’s a wish — it’s far from the assurance of faith that God wants us to have in him. There’s a vast distinction between hoping things will work out and knowing God’s got this.

Waiting vs. God’s Perfect Timing

Waiting is hard. It stretches our patience and tests our faith, especially when hope feels distant. But faith calls us to something deeper. It’s not just about waiting—it’s about trusting. Peace is the presence of God in our hearts.

Jesus—arrived not a moment too soon or too late. God’s timing isn’t random; it’s intentional. Every delay, every seeming detour, is part of His plan to do something extraordinary.

Key Factors in God’s Timing

The Roman Empire’s Infrastructure: Roads and trade routes connected cities, enabling the gospel to travel far and wide.
A Universal Language: Greek served as a common tongue, allowing the message of salvation to transcend borders and cultures.
Spiritual Longing: Jewish and Gentile communities were yearning for hope, creating fertile ground for Christ’s teachings.

Every detail—from global systems to individual hearts—was aligned perfectly for Jesus’ ministry to flourish. This is the God we trust: One who sees the whole picture and works all things together for good (Romans 8:28).

Faith Over Hope

As we read Sarah’s encounter with the angel, God gently challenges Sarah’s doubt with a question that echoes across time: “Is anything too hard for Yahweh?” He is really saying that hoping makes your heart sick, — so let your longing be fulfilled — in me.

Faith isn’t wishful thinking; it’s confidence rooted in God’s character and His track record of faithfulness. In the waiting, God is building roads in your life—aligning circumstances, refining your heart, and paving the way for His promise to unfold. Scripture is the cheerleader of my heart with words that transform hope into knowing.

Resting in faith means trusting in the God who sees the end from the beginning and who uses every delay to prepare us for something greater than we could imagine. So instead of hoping something will happen, start knowing that God is already at work, paving the way for His promises to unfold in your life. At the perfect time, He will turn your waiting into fulfillment and your faith into sight. Nothing is too hard for Him.Today — I have a gift for you — an adult coloring book page that you can print!