December 2001

THE KINGDOM OF GOD COMES TO EARTH
Paul & Emily Meuller

Part Four     April 2001

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The Spirit's Work: To Give the People A Desire For the Lord

                There is an obscure and little-known verse of scripture tucked away in the Proverbs of Solomon that has been mightily quickened to me by the Spirit. And it is this word: 'Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life' (Pro. 13:12). What a wealth of truth there is in this verse, especially when the Spirit quickens it to us and reveals the many-sided truths of the kingdom of Love that may be found in these few words.

                The blessed hope we all have is for a better and more fulfilled life without sorrow, pain and suffering, in the kingdom of our Father. This is our true, inner desire; and it is supported by many scriptures and by the Spirit of truth. This blessed hope is not only our hope, it is the hope of every person who has ever lived, or who will yet live, in this world. Generations of people have come and gone, yet every one of them nurtured this unrealized hope and desire within them. It may not always have been expressed outwardly, but that hope, that desire, was within every person nevertheless. And so it is today! Every man, woman, and child has within them this blessed hope. They are nurturing that hope within, looking forward to the day when that blessed hope and desire will become a living reality.

                The blessed hope of the benefits and blessings of the kingdom of God are often expressed by many of us. When we desire a better job, or home, good health for our family, financial prosperity and security, and a life free of the worries, concerns and frustrations of this world, we are expressing that desire. Although many achieve these benefits in this life, they may not be fully aware that the reality of the blessed hope within them has not yet been fully realized. They may assume that a better life in this world IS the blessed hope, even though the reality of it can only be found in the Spirit.

                Those who are spiritual will suffer the heart sickness described by Solomon. They know that the things of this world can never satisfy, nor can those worldly things replace the blessed hope of the kingdom of God that is within them. All people everywhere have this blessed hope within them, even though they may mistakenly believe that the things of this world are satisfying that inner desire. But the real hope that is within us all awaits the fullness of time! It is all coming to us in the power and glory of the fullness of the kingdom of Love! Thus, the real, true hope, the hope of the kingdom of Love, has been deferred or delayed. And 'Hope deferred maketh the heart sick.'

                Is your heart sick because this blessed hope is deferred? Is there a longing for reality in your life that you know has so far been unfulfilled? Look up, lift up your heads and rejoice, for the morning of this new Day is soon to dawn when that blessed hope will no longer be deferred! The desire that we all have within us for the blessings and benefits of the kingdom of Love shall then be brought to fruition. When that blessed hope, or that desire within, is deferred, we are then like a fruit tree that has not yet grown to maturity, to bring forth fruit. But when, like that fruit tree, we are fully grown, matured and perfected, the divine purpose for our very being, or our inner desire, shall then be fully realized, to become desire fulfilled and hope realized. And 'when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.' The original word translated 'desire,' means a longing, a delight, to wish for, and includes satisfaction.

                The great secret or mystery regarding the fulfillment of all things in the kingdom of Love is with the Lord. The Spirit of Love is the Key that must unlock all the unfulfilled, prophetic promises of God. Unless the Lord opens the doors of kingdom blessings and benefits, they shall all remain tightly closed. Unless the Spirit of the Lord fulfills the blessed hope and desire within us all, that hope and that desire is deferred or delayed. That hope and desire shall remain as a deep, dark secret within the inner recesses of our spirits, awaiting the work of the Spirit to awaken that desire within us, and make it a tree of life. And the Spirit of the Lord is beginning to do that work now within His elect. I know He is doing it within me, and I believe He must also be doing that same kingdom work within the lives of all who are called and chosen to walk with Him unto His fullness.