Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is like a tree of life.
(Proverbs 13:12)
A desire fulfilled will be sweet to the soul, but fools abhor turning away from evil.
(Proverbs 13:19)
What happened to your dream? When did life become so demanding, so difficult, that the hopes of the past were scared away, repressed or put on indefinite hold? We stop dreaming when straight jacket-like obligations materialize and life brings a myriad of other distractions. Eventually, change, age, and waning health cause the “big dream” to be totally lost.
Is there purposeful life? Is there the possibility of an ever-present happiness, a prevailing joy unaffected by the ups and downs of life? How does one navigate through the demands and diversions and distractions to preserve a dream and find success in it?
The year was 1015 BC and David, King of Israel, lay dying. With his last breaths he swore to his beloved wife, “Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place.” Solomon, probably in his early twenties, was suddenly a world leader with a crushing weight of responsibility. As a young prince, he had hoped the hopes and played the games of childhood. He may have had desires of being like his mighty father, a conquering general and a compassionate king. But Solomon had no known formal on-the-job training, no education in political science, and certainly no Wharton MBA or Kennedy School Ph.D.
God saw Solomon’s plight and came to him in a dream. In this dream, He asked Solomon the following question “If you could have anything you wanted, what would it be?” In response, Solomon humbly stated that he was like a small child who did not know his way and he simply requested “an understanding mind so that I can govern the people well and know the difference between right and wrong.” God granted Solomon his wish—a wise and understanding mind such as no one else has ever had or ever will have! And he was also abundantly blessed with riches, honor and a long life.
Solomon’s dominion extended over vast kingdoms and throughout his lifetime his lands were known for peace and safety. His wealth was beyond comprehension; his great wisdom, understanding and knowledge too extensive to be measured. In addition to being an expert in biological sciences, he was a philosopher and songwriter, having spoken more than 3,000 proverbs and composed more than 1,000 songs. Kings from all nations sent ambassadors to Solomon to learn from his wisdom.
We now live three millennia after Solomon but the human heart has not changed. We all have dreamt a compelling, even noble dream at some point in our lives but very few have actually followed it. Instead, you may be avoiding, bouncing off of or throwing away relationships, searching in frustration for genuine understanding, love and acceptance. Looking for the opportunity to reconstruct your former dreams, you may be meandering through a universe of materialism and loose associations without a guidebook or a road map. However, in your longing, you press onward, sometimes seemingly aimlessly, in search of an imaginary time and place where everything will be as it should be.
Proverbs is the story of every man; it is the story of life—your life. Solomon answers the perplexing, unutterable, gnawing, sleepless nights sorts of questions and his insights give relief to the nagging doubts and regrets. Solomon tells us that the dream is a gift, that the dream never goes away. With his counsel, you will find the right path to begin your journey back. This book of wisdom is the way to happiness, the reason for your hopes, and the stuff of your dreams. There really is a guidebook to life, a GPS system that navigates from birth to death. It is the way of Solomon.
As you spend the next 30 days considering the wisdom of Solomon, ask God to reveal Himself to you and to renew your mind with His timeless truth that can transform your life and dreams.