Proverbs 13:12

Proverbs 13:12 (ESV)

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,

but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

If you have ever had a dream fulfilled, you know what the above verse is talking about. If you have ever had a dream delayed, then you really know what the verse is saying. When we dream and reach those dreams they become like a tree of life to us. A fulfilled dream is like a tree of life in that it gives you more than just the dream, but actual life. When we have a dream delayed (deferred) our hearts become sick. We need to remember that God is in charge of our lives. He leads us to where He wants us to be. When we are going through the difficulty of waiting for a dreams to be fulfilled, we need to remember that God is the fulfiller of dreams. He leads us into our dreams and is the one who fulfills them. Note also what Solomon will write later in this chapter:

Proverbs 13:19 (ESV)

A desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul,

but to turn away from evil is an abomination to fools.

When we have a death it can be the worst thing to happen to us.  So, too, a death of a vision can be devastating.  Often, however, our vision is limited by our inward desires.  A hope fixed on Christ can never be deferred.  It is secured in the promises of God.  That is the only way to have a life of hope.  So, perhaps using the word dream is the wrong word to use.  Perhaps we should simply stick with the translations and focus on hope. For the believer,  hope is our strategy.    We hope in Christ by faith.   That is our entire blueprint for life.   It is interesting that Solomon writes that a desire fulfilled is a tree of life. Earlier in the book we read:

Proverbs 3:18(ESV) 

She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her;

those who hold her fast are called blessed.

The she in the above verse is wisdom.   So, when we tie all this together we see that when our hope is deferred we might become depressed and suffer in an unhealthy manner, but when we see it fulfilled it is wisdom in our lives.   Solomon is speaking into the psychology of our lives.   When the thing we hope for is delayed our psychological emotions take a hit.  But when we have that thing we desire come to fruition, we experience psychologically the tree of life. That is why we should seek wisdom (personified in Christ) because that brings satisfaction both psychologically and spiritually.  When we focus on Christ we have enough.  

John 14:8 (ESV)

Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”