«I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the beast of the field become too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land» (Exodus 23:29, 30).
Sometimes God works instantly: He opens the sea and makes the enemy army disappear in a matter of seconds. Other times—in my experience, most of the time—God works gradually, little by little. When the people of Israel were about to take the promised land, God told them that He would expel the Hivites, the Canaanites, and Hittites, but He would do it gradually. This delay had one purpose: to give them time to grow, «until you have increased and you inherit the land» (Exodus 23:30).
When God calls us in a special way by planting a dream in our hearts, we can feel some impatience. If God can give us the ideal job, ministry, or partner in a matter of seconds, why waste time? When we struggle with a character defect or with wounds from the past, the same question besieges us: Why is the process so tediously slow? What we don’t recognize is the fact that God can deliberately slow down a process to bless us. Delay is a tool of blessing!
Fast isn’t always the best. God chooses to slow down some processes to give us the opportunity to grow, to put down strong roots, and to support the weight of the fruit. Imagine what would happen if a tree gave tons of fruit before its roots and branches were strong enough. It would fall over and die! Gradually, as the tree strengthens, it becomes able to bear more fruit; that is what our lives are like. In the article «Little by Little» in Christianity Today, we read, «Anything that requires new ways of thinking. . . will naturally follow the principle of ‘little by little’ because a change in thinking is progressive. If we understand this, we will cooperate with the process.» Be faithful to what you have now, trust in the process, and in time, you will receive the Promised Land.
Dear Lord, if there’s a process in my life that You are deliberately slowing down, please help me understand it to cooperate with You. I want to do my part even if it’s not glamorous or what I’d rather be doing. If it’s time to lay the foundation, I will concentrate on it; the time will come to decorate. I trust You will do Your part and that You are blessing me with the delay.
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Take From: Devotional Thoughts for Women 2022
«NO FEARS»
BY: VANEZA PISSUTO
Collaborators: Alexandra Pérez & Angelica Cuate.
