What’s Under Your Tent? Preparing for New Things – Lesson 3a (Deferred Hope: Delayed or Unfulfilled Dreams)

Isaiah 43:16, 18-19 (ESV) “Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty 

waters. Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. 

 

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10 

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.” Proverbs 13:12 (NLT) 

Today we are going to look at a topic that hits close to home for my family and I; deferred hope: delayed or unfulfilled promises.  

It was over 26 years ago that God gave me a dream in the night and Scott a vision on the same night. The dream/vision was of a farm from which we would minister freedom to the Body of Christ. God placed the name of the ministry in our hearts as well, Eleutheria Ministries (Freedom Ministries). God called us to move from Missouri, where we were at that time, to New Mexico. We figured that once we were there things would begin to develop, and we would find our farm.  

Twice over the past 26 years we felt the Lord ask us to give up our security (jobs, church, home) and take a leap of faith. The first time was in March of 2012. We felt we were leaving New Mexico; however, we had no further direction but took the leap and obeyed. We both resigned our positions at the Christian school and while I incubated our baby boy 😊, Scott sought to find the place God was calling us to. After 5 years of underemployment and the loss of many people we held as friends, we were still seeking and trying to walk in obedience.  

A side note: It was during 2012 that I began to blog for the first time. The ministry I have today was born during a season of waiting.  

While still in New Mexico, in 2017, God opened the doors for us to each find full time employment. We were still certain we were supposed to leave New Mexico, however, we chose to obey each, next right step. God spoke, we tried to obey quickly.  

The second time God asked us to leap was in October 2020. God told Scott we were supposed to move to the Temple, TX area. Finally, we were leaving New Mexico! We were not necessarily excited about leaving NM but were excited to finally be moving forward. Remember, it had been 8 years since we first felt the call to leave NM. During those 8 years of waiting, we had had numerous confirmations of this move. God also told Scott that I was to stay home and home school Samuel and not work. We felt Him nudge us again to leave our security only this time He asked us to leave our beautiful daughter in New Mexico too.  

We again took the leap of faith and resigned from our jobs, put our belongings in storage and with a 7-year-old, one dog, 4 cats, a small television, an Xbox One, a few blankets and pillows and clothing for a week we left our comfort zone and headed out toward our Promise Land. Yes, I am serious! Scott had no job, we had no home, and we had enough money to get to Texas to stay for a week to look for those things. We then had to turn around and with all the pets in tow return to New Mexico for our daughter’s wedding.  

Let me save time by saying God miraculously provided a home and everything we needed to set up housekeeping in TX. He gave Scott a job that not only provided for our needs but allowed him to travel all over the state and get to know this beautiful land! He led us to an amazing church and has blessed us with wonderful, godly friends here!  

There is so much more, but I do not have time or space here to share it. I shared all that back story to lay the foundation for today’s study. By the way, we are still waiting for the fulfillment of our dream of Freedom Farm.  

I want us to dive into the Word and look at the lives of some people, who like us, dealt with deferred hope and delayed promises.  

Let us begin with Abram (Abraham) and Sarai (Sarah). We know from the book of Genesis that Abram, was seventy-five when God called him to leave his home in Haran. At that time God promised that He would make Abram a great nation.  

Fast forward, eleven years. Abram is now eighty-six and is still childless. At this time, God spoke to him again and told him he would have a son. Genesis 15:6 tells us that Abram believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness because of his faith.  

We know that in her impatience to produce an heir for Abram, Sarai gave her Egyptian maid Hagar to Abram as a wife, hoping that through Hagar, she might have a son. This plan backfires miserably, as Hagar, after she becomes pregnant, begins to treat Sarai with contempt. 

Abram finally has the son he has always wanted; however, Ishmael is not the son of the promise. God’s promise was intended to be fulfilled through Sarai and in jumping the gun and trying to fulfill the promises for God, she caused Abram, Hagar, Ishmael, Isaac, and herself much lasting grief and bitterness. 

Fast forward another thirteen years and Abram is now ninety-nine. God again visits Abram and tells him that, through Sarai, He will make Abram a great nation. As a sign of His covenant with Abram God changes his name to Abraham which means “The Father of Many Nations.” He also changes Sarai’s name to Sarah, “Mother of Many Nations.”  Finally, at age 100 Abraham receives the promised son, Isaac, through Sarah.  

I encourage you to take some time to read Genesis 12-21. In these chapters we find promises and faith. We also find deferred hope, men’s best attempt to fulfill God’s promises on their own, and the joy of fulfilled dreams that spring up as a tree of life.  

Next, we will look at one of my favorite women in the Bible, Hannah. You will find the record of the events of Hannah’s struggle with deferred hope and God’s faithfulness in 1 Samuel 1-2. Hannah was an Israelite woman. She was one of the two wives of Elkanah, an Ephraimite. Peninnah had children but Hannah did not. Every year Elkanah and his family would go to Shiloh to offer sacrifices to God. Every year, year after long year, Hannah would have to endure the mocking of Peninnah because Hannah had no children. Every year Hannah would be reduced to tears by the hope she felt that never came to fruition. 

One year after the sacrifice meal Hannah, being very grieved, went to pray. She was so broken and sorrowful that she was praying fervently but silently. Hannah made a vow to the Lord, “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut.” 1 Samuel 1:11 (NLT)Eli, the priest, seeing her, thought she was drunk. When he confronted her, she told him that she was not drunk but was pouring out her heart to God in great anguish and sorrow.  

1 Samuel 1:17 (NLT) “In that case,” Eli said, “go in peace! May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him.” Hannah left there in peace and began eating and was no longer sad. 

Sometime after the family returned home, God opened Hannah’s womb and she conceived a son. When he was born, she named him Samuel, because she “asked God for him.” When the time for the annual sacrifice came around, Hannah stayed home with baby Samuel. She told Elkanah that she would keep him home until he was weaned and then she would take him to the Tabernacle and leave him there permanently. 

True to her word, when Samuel was weaned, Hannah took him to the temple. Elkanah and Hannah brought a 3-year-old bull, a basket of flour, and some wine for the sacrifice. After the sacrifice Hannah talked with Eli, reminding him of their previous meeting. She told him that it was for this child that she had prayed. God had heard and had given her a son and she was now giving him back to the Lord for service in His Tabernacle. Samuel would now belong to the Lord all his life. We know that God blessed Hannah with three more sons and two daughters.  

In Hannah’s brokenness and sorrow caused by the deferred hope of having a son, we see that she did not grow bitter as many women in her condition throughout history have. We do not read that she was ever unkind to Peninnah in retaliation. Instead, Hannah took her cares to the Lord. She put her faith and hope in God’s hands. 

Deferred hope led Sarah to take a desperate step that led to an ongoing battle we still see in our world today between the descendants of Ishmael and Isaac. It also led her to have a bitter attitude towards Hagar.  

However, we see that in Hannah’s case she took her hopes to the Lord and waited on Him for the answer. While she waited, she kept her heart’s attitude postured to receive the fulfillment of her desire. Even though her deferred hope caused her heart to become sick, she did not give up on God.  

We know that both women received the long-awaited answer to their hope and promise, however, one was able to walk away in peace while the other laid the foundation for ongoing world conflict. Samuel was used to bless the Israelites, while Ishmael’s descendants still harbor ongoing bitterness toward them.  

Next week we will continue looking at some others in the Bible who faced deferred hope or unfulfilled dreams.