Deuteronomy 7:22
“The Lord your God will drive out these nations before you, little by little.”
This was right before God gets ready to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. For about 40 years the Israelites had wandered in the wilderness. They were in a dry place, wandering with very little purpose. But one day, God called the Israelites out of their wandering and into their calling. He told them to head towards their promised place. A place of blessing, fulfillment, completion.
The only problem was that there was adversity in front of them. The land was occupied by fierce people, giants, men of great power.
I think the Israelites’ preference would have been for God to drive out everyone before they even got there. I know that’s what I would prefer. That would be safer. No battle needed, no pain, no sorrow, no action necessary. How much scarier for God to tell them “little by little.”
“Little by little” is scary. It holds the probability of pain. It requires that you face your fears head on. Battle by battle. Day by day. One step at a time. Little by little requires faith. Dedication. Trust. It requires facing difficulty daily and choosing to fight.
But little by little builds character. And the victory of little by little is oh so sweet and final. Little by little is thorough. It is decisive. It leaves no stone unturned. It results in complete regime change.
We live in a quick fix society. We want our food heated up in the microwave. We want fast food. We want quick fixes. We are a society that lacks dedication and drive. We want our struggles with sin ended in a moment of glorious freedom, we want our emotional pain to just “go away,” we want our finances fixed in the blink of an eye. We want the quick fix but God is saying I want to drive out your giants little by little, step by step.
It’s taking the first step. It’s fighting the first battle. It’s confronting your fears. It’s getting up each time you are knocked down. It is looking your personal giants square in the eyes and challenging them to battle.
We all know the old quote, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” What we didn’t realize is that it is biblical. How do you defeat your giants? How do you get past the pain? How do you become who God wants you to be? Little by little. Just remember, it is God who fights with you. God was with the Israelites, but they had to engage the enemy 1st. So to will he be with you. But you have to engage those things you have cowered from for far too long.
Lord, help me to live little by little. Instill in me patience. Drive. Dedication. Zeal. Little by little requires a relentless heart. Father, make me relentless.
