By Little and Little
Today’s Verse:
By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land. ~Exodus 23:30
God was preparing Israel to possess the land of their inheritance. Israel had lived in Goshen under Egyptian bondage for over 400 years, and all they knew was captivity, hardship, and a limited idea of the world outside of Egypt. After walking in the wilderness for several weeks, everyone was anxious to settle down. God told them about the battles they would have to fight to acquire and conquer the promised land. The people were anxious to get everything done with quickly, but God said, “By little and little I will drive them out from before thee.” Let us see the principle of God’s providence of little and little.
We see the acceptance.
God does little and little for us to teach us submission and faith in Him. If we cannot trust Him in the little steps, we will not trust Him in the big steps. God said, “I will drive them out.” Faith is letting go and letting God. God tells us, “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.” Solomon said, “A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.”
We see the ardor.
God does little and little for us to teach us to put effort and hard work into our part. Prayer is an example of this. We are told to strive in our prayers and labor fervently in our prayers. Many answers to prayer are the “little and little” God does for us. The start of a new church is an example of this. We work hard at every aspect of building the church, and it is little and little in the way God drives out the obstacles and enables us to seize the opportunities.
We see the avoidance.
“I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee.” God does little and little to keep us from becoming negligent or blindsided by problems that we did not anticipate. God works supernaturally through natural means. God knows how much we can handle and how much is just right. He is always on time, always correct, and always good.
We see the appreciation.
God does little and little so that we are careful to thank and praise Him. There is too much of a tendency in us to be like the nine lepers who did not return to give the Lord thanks. The little and little leads us one step closer to the goal we have. We must thank the Lord for every blessing and work He does. I take time every now and then to thank God for the early days of when our church started and for the little and little He did in bringing us where we are now. It takes character to be thankful for the little.
We see the accomplishment.
When God does the little and little, He gives us increase and the inheritance of the land. Sometimes, the little and little does not look like anything is happening, but God is working. It is God Who gives the increase. Claim the promise, move forward in faith, work hard, and by little and little you will see God’s plan unfold.
Have a patient God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Daniel 6-7