Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
The one who despises the word will be in debt to it, But the one who fears the commandment will be rewarded.
The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, To turn aside from the snares of death.
Good understanding produces favor, But the way of the treacherous is hard.
Every prudent man acts with knowledge, But a fool displays folly.
A wicked messenger falls into adversity, But a faithful envoy brings healing.
Poverty and shame will come to him who neglects discipline, But he who regards reproof will be honored.
Desire realized is sweet to the soul, But it is an abomination to fools to turn away from evil.
Proverbs 13:12-19
God knew what He was doing when He created you and me with strong emotions. My biggest failures as a husband and father happen when my desires are like a runaway freight train! But at the same time, the reason my biggest joys and success are memorable is because of those powerful and deep emotions.
Just as Proverbs gives us wisdom in other facets of life, so also with our emotions and desires. God’s wisdom isn’t to get rid of all our emotions; nor is His wisdom to follow our emotions. Instead, let’s read together how God’s wisdom would have us understand and use the very emotions He gave us.
Emotions can be life or death; sickness or health. In verse 12, when you strongly desire for something, and it doesn’t come to pass, it is like a deep internal sickness. But on the other hand, when that strong desire does occur, wow! It’s like a fruitful tree giving fullness of life!
Verse 13 connects to emotions with the words ‘despises’ and ‘fears.’ Though actions, they are very emotional actions. How we respond to God’s Word significantly impacts the rest of our lives. To despise God’s Word means we will be in a position of debt, unable to get out. But if we fear God’s Word – the idea of fear being it’s our highest value or priority – there is a reward. I think we should attach this to verse 12. If we have a strong desire for something, but we are despising God’s Word – we can look forward to heart sicknesses. But, if we are fearing God’s commands, we can look forward to a reward from God in fulfilling that desire.
Verses 14-16 echo the importance of God’s Word. Wise teaching is an ongoing fountain of life, never stopping. Following this teaching prevents us from being caught in the snares of death. Wise teaching produces good understanding, which leads to favor. That good understanding gives prudence, or an ability to make the preparations needed for coming challenges. No matter the difficulty, the Word of God gives a wise person a faithfulness, which enables them to move closer to the desire fulfilled. However, the opposite is just as true; those who reject God’s Word and live treacherous or dishonest lives find the way difficult. They reveal their foolishness in times of crisis, making their problems worse. They move farther from the desire fulfilled and closer to heart sickness.
Verses 17 and 18 give us some specific, practical examples of the impact of God’s Word and wisdom. In being faithful, you will bring healing. The implication is not just healing for yourself, but for others. Receiving reproof or correction is also a positive result from God’s Word and wise teaching. While in the moment being corrected might be unpleasant, the end result is honor. But on the flip side, to be wicked, faithless, self-centered invites one into adversity. Such a messenger is unprepared to overcome challenges. Likewise, poverty and shame come to the one who is unwilling to be corrected or disciplined. Not only can others not discipline such a one, but this individual neglects to discipline himself.
And so we come full circle to verse 19 and desire realized is sweet to the soul. Fear God’s Word, listen to His wise teaching, gain understanding, gain knowledge and prudence, become faithful and humble – and the end result is your life will have sweetness and fruit.
But the second part of verse 19 extends the picture. It’s not just enough that the fools will suffer and not have their desires realized. It’s worse, because they can’t break away. It’s like they are addicted to their sinful folly. And as much as it makes their life miserable, they hate even more the thought of doing without it. They are stuck, trapped, ensnared, which means their hearts are sick with desires unrealized.
How much we need God’s Word – to read it, to fear it, to obey it!
Thank you for joining me. I hope God blessed you as we chatted about His Word together. Next time, we will chat over Proverbs 13:20-25!