Little By Little

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ave you ever watched birds building a nest?  I know this may seem a rather odd question but it's amazing how many lessons God could teach us if we would just pay attention.  Early one April morning, I watched as two birds patiently built the nest that would become their home.  It would keep them warm and safe and would eventually house eggs that would hatch into baby birds.  Both birds worked diligently, deliberately searching for pieces of straw, twigs, and grass with which to build their nest. 

At first, their progress was painstakingly slow and it appeared as if nothing would ever come of their efforts. The birds, however, were not daunted by the difficulty of the task, nor did they become frustrated when their efforts were thwarted by gusts of wind that blew their meager twigs away.  When someone or something came between them and their nest, they waited patiently until the way was safe before continuing with the task at hand. Little by little the twigs, straw, grass, and mud began to take shape and finally the nest was completed. 

Here is a great lesson that God wants us to learn and it is found in the words little by little.  These are the very words God uses to describe the entry of the children of Israel into the Promised Land.  In Exodus 23:28-30 God reveals his plan for Israel's conquest of Canaan.  “I will send the hornet ahead of you to drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites out of your way. But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land.”

Read that passage very carefully and you will see how gracious and caring God is.  He says that he will not drive Israel's enemies out in a single year but that he will drive them out "little by little." Notice that God chooses NOT to drive them out in a single year.  It is not that he can't do it but he won't do it; and the reason he won't do it is to give the people time to increase enough to possess the land.

How often do we find ourselves in the place of the Children of Israel?  How often do we want God to do things for us "in a single year"?  We are so interested in setting our own agendas and placing God on our own timetables that we totally disregard the plans he has for us. Yet God's design was for the people to enter the land in a position of strength. Therefore, God' planned to drive out their enemies little by little thus ensuring both rest and victory for his people.

The scriptures tell us in Psalm 103:14 that God "knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust." He knows that proceeding "little by little" is always best for us.  The promise was that Israel would possess the land.  It was theirs by right and by God's promise.  He wanted to ensure that when they entered it, they would do so in strength, not weakness, and enjoy God's provision to the full.

If you are in a place that is difficult and it seems that God is moving excessively slow, just remember his promise to Israel.  They would enter the land, it would be theirs, and they would possess it from a position of strength.  God's promises are always coupled with his desire to take care of us if we will just let him! 

Little by little God shows us the way

Little by little we learn to obey

Little by little, one step at a time

Little by little, we steadily climb.

Little by little, we rest in his hand

And little by little, we conquer the land.