Getting to the Root of Hope Deferred

The month of March brings a strategic season to hear the voice of God for healing. I want to unpack a condition that many people have fallen into called “hope deferred.”

Hope deferred makes the heart sick … Proverbs 13:12 NIV

Hope deferred basically means that you get heartsick over things like disappointments, losses or grief. The plan of Satan right now is to use these to keep you from trusting the Lord and take you out of what God wants to do in your life.

Uncovering the root of sickness

I’ve had a lot of deaths in my family and losses beyond what you can even imagine. Years ago, Huntington’s disease and cancer wiped out most of my family over a very short time. More recently, I suffered a 4-year chronic illness, and at one point I almost died. Doctors didn’t know what it was, so they just tried to treat my symptoms. I didn’t get healed until I got to the spiritual root of it—a broken heart and grief.

I’m healed now, and I’m telling you first-hand that what was intended for evil, the Lord will use for good. Sickness is not from the Lord! Don’t think that the sickness was a gift, even if you learned something in the midst of it. Sickness is a curse that needs to be broken off of your life.

[Tweet “Sickness is a curse that needs to be broken off of your life.”]

When I was sick for four years, the Lord positioned us to help others by using the internet and doing so increased my ministry four times. When the pandemic hit, we were already prepared and operating 95% online.

A broken heart is a real condition

A cheerful heart is good medicine; but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs 17:22 NIV

For a long time, I didn’t realize that my spirit and soul were crushed from all the pain and losses I went through. Once I found the spiritual roots of a broken heart and hope deferred, I was able to take positive steps to get healed.

[Tweet “Once I found the spiritual roots of a broken heart and hope deferred, I was able to take positive steps to get healed.”]

I got some inner healing and did a little bit of deliverance, and my physical sickness turned around almost immediately. I pressed in to get the strategy when I was healed of the symptoms of Huntington’s disease, and God turned that around too!

Healing is not always automatic, especially after traumatic events or dealing with chronic or genetic sickness. This is what we’re coming up against today.

God’s remedy for hope deferred

… but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12 NIV

Have you noticed that the Tree of Life is mentioned in both Genesis and Revelation? At first, it shared the center of the Garden with the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. We all know how that went! But fast-forward to the end of the Book, and the Tree of Life stands unopposed:

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. Revelation 22:2 NIV

The Lord wants to give you the leaves of healing—the words that you need—but you may have to let go of old prophetic words and promises that, for whatever reason, did not happen. Also, let go of any disagreements and hurts that you may have with the Lord and other people.

[Tweet “Let go of any disagreements and hurts that you may have with the Lord and other people.”]

When you ask the Lord to cleanse you of those things, I believe you will see a shift happen in your life, just like I did!

Blessings,

Doug Addison

DougAddison.com

P.S. I want to help you activate and/or sharpen your spiritual gifts of seeing and hearing in the spirit as we enter the Jewish holiday season of Passover to Pentecost. On Saturday, March 20 at 10 a.m. PT, I will be hosting a deep dive—ministry school level training—on How to Activate Seeing and Hearing in the Spirit. Registration is now open, and you can sign up right now to be a part of this training to expand and enhance your spiritual gifts!

Doug Addison is the founder and president of InLight Connection. Doug is a prophetic speaker, author and coach. He is known for his Daily Prophetic Words, Spirit Connection webcast, podcast and blog. He and his wife Linda live in Los Angeles, California where they are impacting the arts, entertainment and media industries.