# 15 2023 Dev. Prov.13:12.“The Tree Of Life!” Read all of chapter thirteen first. We invite you into God’s space, to read His Word, to think on and interact with. This is God’s story! Do you believe that this is also our story, in our time? All passages are taken from the NIV.
Proverbs 13:12 “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”
Proverbs 13 We are writing this devotion on Good Friday and pondering how this passage relates to Easter. This is God’s Word, it relates to Easter and to every season of our lives: it speaks of wisdom, faithfulness and unfaithfulness, righteousness and the unrighteous, pride, understanding and so much more. In this chapter also, the proverb consists of 25 verses, couplets of opposing ways of living, right verses wrong, by God’s standards, a standard to think about at this time of the year.
Vs.1-11 “A wise son heeds his father’s instruction…” Wisdom is a gift from God that is developed over time, and experience. “Those who guard their lips guard their lives… righteousness guards the person of integrity…”. Riches may become a snare. “The light of the righteous shines brightly… Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice. Dishonest money dwindles away…”. This is wisdom in action and is an understanding of the ways of God!
V.12 stands alone, is not in opposition and is the middle of these precepts. “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” Easter is a time of hope, we know how it turns out, Sunday and the resurrection is coming. But we do not know the future, Christ will return, He is on the way. Will He come in our lifetime? No one knows, only the Father, but the hope of the followers of Jesus is in conjunction with our faith, Amen!
“But a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” The tree of life stands in the middle of all things: “down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations” Rev.22:2. “Fulfilled is a tree of life” which refers to the most important part of life but also to our small and human desires. Thanks be to God!
Vs.13-25 The Psalmist goes on with his precepts: “The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death.” V.14 is the only other verse that is not in opposition. “All who are prudent act with knowledge… Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame…”. This is something that we have forgotten in our time. “Walk with the wise and become wise… Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their child is careful to discipline them.” All these precepts lead to a life of peace, joy, abundance and in the end leads us to the tree of life. Thanks be to Christ who died. so that we may live! Glory to God in this Easter Season!
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Heavenhigh 