Until

“I will drive them out before you little by little

until you have increased and are strong enough to take possession of the land.”

Exodus 23:30

  

We have been looking at the biblical principle of little by little.

We have seen how God uses this principal in the lives of those recorded in the Bible as well as in our own live.

Looking, once again at Exodus 23:30 we discover a pivotal word: “until”.

God would drive out the inhabitants of the Promised Land before the Israelites.

He would do this, He said, little by little.

But there then comes a pivotal point in the process.

God said there were three things that would need to happen.

The first thing God said is, “...until you have increased...”

Are you growing and increasing your spiritual life?

Are you a ‘Sunday only’ believer or do you look for opportunities to grow each and every day?

II Timothy 2:15 admonishes us to:

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”

That doesn’t just happen.

We need to be intentional in our desire to grow.

God will be with us every step of the way but we must take the steps.

Just as the Israelites had to step into and fight for the Promised Land.

Are you increasing in your spiritual life?

Every Nano-Second has Value

“For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:”

Isaiah 28:10(KJV)

 

Why did God create the earth over seven days?

Why didn’t he create it in a moment of time?

Why did it take Noah one hundred and twenty years to build the ark?

Why did the Israelites have to fight for every part of the Promised Land?

How come Jesus came as a baby and did not minister until He was around 30 years of age.

The answer to all of these questions and so many more posed in scripture is the principal of little-by-little.

We want it all at once.

Maybe you are experiencing some of God’s little-by-little?

Don’t rush the process.

Every second of time is pregnant with purpose.

God does not waste His time or yours.

Maybe you think nothing is happening.

But a lack of understanding on your part does not equal a lack of work on God’s part.

Every part of those seven days of creation were necessary.

Every day – all forty-three thousand and eight hundred of them Noah spent making his boat sea worthy had value.

And yes indeed, as hard as it may seem, every nano-second you are spending “waiting” on God is time well spent.

Don’t seek the destination so greatly that you miss all that God is doing along the journey.

Rest in His little-by-little for you.

I Want it Now!

“Little by little I will drive them out before you,

until you have increased enough to take possession of the land.”

Exodus 23:30

I want it all and I want it now!

Our demands are often unreasonable.

Our demands, made of God, are often unachievable because God has principals in place to guide our relationship with Him.

One of those principals is embodied in the phrase “little by little.”

Children look at what their parents have built over a lifetime and often fail to understand why they can’t have it all N-O-W!

We often take that same approach with God.

The anointing a minister/ministry has is coveted but without the willingness to pay the price that same ministry has paid.

Often the pace at which God works in our lives is directly related to our level of cooperation with that work.

In our stubbornness we accuse God of dragging His feet in our lives when in reality if we just surrender and obey we could move the transformation process along.

Surrender and obey?

That’s when we move little by little if at all!

But – thank you Lord – you don’t give up on us!

Will you surrender to Gods’ little by little process in your life?

Little by Little

“But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”

James 1:4 (KJV)

Little by little

One step at a time

He’s changing our hearts

And renewing our minds

Teaching us how to be gentle and kind

Little by little

One step at a time!

So go the lyrics of an old song

Tried and true lyrics too.

His work in us is not to make an ‘overnight sensation’!

Sure, salvation is given in a moment in time but the work of changing us

(the big word is sanctification!) is a process of little by little.

It can’t be rushed.

It shouldn’t be rushed.

Let God work in you as you cooperate with His work and He will bring out the masterpiece He created you to be.

No need to be jealous of another either.

Every single one of us is created in His image.

Every single one of us has a unique call and purpose.

It is true – when God created you He threw away the mold!

Let His work be done in you – little by little one step at a time.

No Greater Support System Possible

“Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death……

For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants.

For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way,

in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest.”

Hebrews 2:14a, 16-17

Suppose you needed some encouragement and support in an area of your life that you had been struggling in or to accomplish the mission and purposes for which you were created?

Now suppose you could find words of encouragement from someone who had faced a similar issue but had pressed through it with success and victory or another person who, though they may be willing to help, had never faced anything remotely close to what you were going through.

Given the opportunity most would choose the one who made it through in victory because there is a perspective and wisdom there we desperately need to hear. How much infinitely more so would our advocate and intercessor in heaven, Jesus Christ, be able to offer assistance and encouragement?

Maybe as you read the posts on this blog, they have challenged you and you so much want to accomplish God’s plans and purposes for your life.

Be assured of this, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are on your side to see you through.

If you can top that trio let me know!

So often we approach life as if God is, at worst, an enemy or, at best, indifferent to us.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Those who, by faith, have become Abraham’s descendant’s and made Jesus Christ savior and Lord can be assured that not only the Son, but the Father and the Holy Spirit are cheering us on to victory in accomplishing our mission.

Listen AND Act!

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."

James 1:22

How could someone dare to say that receiving a word from the Lord is "no big deal"?

Wouldn't that be disrespect to God of the highest order?

Before you answer that listen to these words from Jesus -

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house upon a rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

Sometimes, I think we hear a word from the Lord and we suppose that just hearing it is a great accomplishment. Maybe if you are not accustomed to hearing God's voice there may be some truth in that but His sheep know His voice and so the expectation is not simply hearing His voice but obeying what it is He has spoken to us. I think by now most everyone knows the marketing slogan made famous by Nike footwear some years back. It was: "Just Do It!".

Do not misunderstand me - it is wonderful to know that our Father speaks to us but we must not be so enamored with that knowledge that we fail to walk in obedience to what it is He has spoken.

We are to hear His word and we are to be doers of it. Just do it.

Jesus called the doers wise, but the ones who only hear and fail to act He called foolish.

So, to a believer, it is no big deal to hear a word, the real deal is doing it!

Jacob Becomes Israel

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone and the new has come!"

II Corinthians 5:17

Have you had a life-altering wrestling match with God?

I am not talking about verbal sparring but the type of an encounter that we find Jacob having with God in Genesis chapter 32?

How can we know it altered his life?

Jacob - which means "he will take by the heel" and is recognized as a deceiver - had his name changed to Israel - which means "he shall be prince of God".

We are told in verse 28: "Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.""

You see Jacob deceived his very own brother Esau out of his birthright and his blessing. He himself was later deceived (what you sow, you reap) by his uncle Laban and had to work 14 years for the love of his life Rebecah instead of the agreed upon 7 years.

God took Jacob through a process in his life from a deceiver to one who prevails with God.

It was not easy at times and we can thank God that that same grace and patience God had toward Jacob he has with us.

There comes a time in each of our lives when we have to decide if we are going to continue as a Jacob or allow God's process in maturing us to change us to Israel.

Abram became Abraham and Sarai became Sarah.

Jesus did a similar thing with Simon by changing his name to Peter.

You, at times, like Jacob will struggle with your old nature and you will struggle with God, to do what you know you should do.

Who will prevail?

The old man and his nature or the new man that has put on Christ?

Is there a new name in your future?  

"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much..."

Luke 16:10a

A Day Like Any Other?

"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much..."

Luke 16:10a

Interesting thing about David.

Nowhere prior to I Samuel 17 do his fellow countrymen know of him as a giant killer or hero of Israel. Verse 20 of that chapter tells us how his day began: "Early in the morning David left the flock with a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed."

It was a pretty mundane task set before him.

His father Jesse had asked David to bring some food to his older brothers and their commander who were fighting the Philistines with King Saul. He also wanted to know how things were going for his sons. David was serving his father by acting as a messenger; we might say - a gopher - nothing too glamorous or heroic about that job! David, like so many others in scripture we have looked at, was in a process of maturing for the destiny God had for him. Killing Goliath was not his destiny though it certainly propelled him along the way.

Some may have had David's biography stop there.

Songs were sung to honor him on that day but God knew he still had much more for this future king to grow through before he was, as God Himself had declared him to be, "...a man after my own heart..." Maybe today you are serving others in what you consider pretty 'mundane' ways. Take a lesson from King David and serve your brothers and sisters by faithfully carrying out the directions of your Father. Maybe David thought his day was simply nothing more than following his father's directions (and it was) but his heavenly Father had much more to unfold for him that day.

Remain faithful in the little things.

God sees you.

He is watching.

Faithfulness in the little things will help to propel you into the destiny God has for your life.

Food from Psalms

“Show me your ways, Lord,

    teach me your paths.

Guide me in your truth and teach me,

    for you are God my Savior,

    and my hope is in you all day long.”

Psalm 25:4-5

“The Mighty One, God, the Lord,

    speaks and summons the earth

    from the rising of the sun to where it sets.”

Psalm 50:1

“We praise you, God,

    we praise you, for your Name is near;

    people tell of your wonderful deeds.”

Psalm 75:1

“Know that the Lord is God.

    It is he who made us, and we are his;

    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.”

Psalm 100:3

Mercy for Stumbles

“We all stumble in many ways.

Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect,

able to keep their whole body in check.”

James 3:2

I want you to notice that James did not write:

Some of us might stumble....

He wrote very definitively

We A-L-L stumble in M-A-N-Y ways.

The irony is that if you claim never to stumble you already have through pride.

No one gets off the hook!

That makes it more difficult to hold it over someone else’s head.

But we do.

We can be so blind to our own faults but over sensitive to the faults of others.

We want forgiveness immediately but find it hard to extend it to others.

Don’t fall into that trap.

Remind yourself frequently not only of your need for grace but how generously God gives you His grace and His mercy.

Let it sink in that you are not appointed as Fault Finder King or Queen

But let’s go one step further –

Mercy triumphs over justice.

Try a little mercy for the other person today.

He sees the diamond.

We see the “rough”.

He sees the shine.

We see the shame.

He sees the facets.

We see the faults.

He sees the clarity.

We see the cloudiness.

He sees the finished work.

We see the present state.

God give us eyes to see as you see.

Praying for you – that the eyes of your heart are enlightened

to see yourself as God sees you.

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,”

Ephesians 1:18

All Creation Reveals Gods Work

“The heavens declare the glory of God;

    the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech;

    night after night they reveal knowledge.”

Psalm 19:1-2

 

God’s creation displays His majesty.

All of His work is displayed for us to see.

The sun, the moon, the stars, and the sky – all reveal His handiwork.

Those who say “I never heard the Gospel” are without excuse because nature reveals the greatness of God.

Look around you, it is an amazing planet.

It is not here by random chance or evolution.

It is the hand and voice of God which formed the heavens and spoke into existence all that you see.

Do not let His magnificent work pass you by.

Take the time today to look for the evidence of God in those things He has created.

Let His work speak to you.

Don’t Go Digging

“Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have laid hold of it.

But one thing I do:

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,

I press on toward the goal to win the prize of

God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 3:13-14

Your past does not determine your future.

Ask Rahab.

Ask David.

Ask Jacob.

Ask most any of the heroes of the Bible.

What they will tell you is they had a messed up past but it did not keep them from a future that was purposed by God.

“Yeah, but...”

It really is hard to argue against that much history.

Each one of those bible heroes could have dragged their past around like a duffel bag, never letting it go.

But they didn’t.

And you don’t have to either.

It truly is a choice we each make.

Sure, there will always be people and circumstances to remind you of what you were.

Just because they love living back there is not any reason for you to accept their invitation to reminisce about a less than stellar past.

Leave it where it belongs – way back there!

Don’t go digging...

Retreat

“But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace...my immediate response, was not to consult any human being. I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. They only heard the report: “the man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”

And they praised God because of me.”

Galatians 1:15-24 selected

You’ve recognized that God is invested in your future.

You’ve realized He has a plan and a purpose for your life.

You’ve responded to Him that you desire to walk in what He has for you.

Now it’s time to retreat.

That’s right, retreat!

Alone time with God is the next step.

Our lives are filled with distractions and commotion.

We need to slip away to a place where we can focus on hearing His voice.

Can God’s voice thunder if He chooses to?

Of course, but the intimate relationship He desires with each of us is best realized in the whisper of the Spirits’ voice and not in a shout.

Let God know of your sincere desire to hear Him by investing in the time to do just that.

Retreat from the hubbub to the stillness and listen.

He will speak to the one who seeks Him.

It’s time to retreat!

The All Important Question

“But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace...my immediate response, was not to consult any human being. I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. They only heard the report: “the man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”

And they praised God because of me.”

Galatians 1:15-24 selected

“...my immediate response, was not to consult any human being...”

We have been looking at the question:

Do you want to know God’s plan for your life?

Previously we said it was important to start with a recognition of God in your life and the realization that He has a plan and purpose for you to fulfil.

That recognition and realization brings us to our third step: your response.

Paul said it so well.

His response was immediate.

And equally important, his response was to God.

We are prone to seek out others and get their opinions.

Counsel can be beneficial but ultimately we owe our response to the very one who has called us.

It is easy, at this step, to do anything and everything but respond to God.

We can procrastinate, we can deliberate, we can compromise and argue.

All too avoid a response.

Why?

Usually because we fear Gods’ plan will require us to do something or go somewhere we don’t want.

We forget that His plans for us are good.

They give us a future and a hope.

Soo how will you respond to Gods’ plan for your life?

That is the all important question!

More Unique than Fingerprints and DNA

“But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace...my immediate response, was not to consult any human being. I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. They only heard the report: “the man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”

And they praised God because of me.”

Galatians 1:15-24 selected

“...who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace...”

We have been looking at the question:

Do you want to know God’s plan for your life?

Previously we said it was important to start with a recognition of God in your life.

Our second step is realization.

Realizing that you are not an accident; no one is!

And with that realization comes the understanding that God has a unique purpose and call on your life.

That is right.

No one else in all of history has the same purpose and call as you.

And to think, you thought only your fingerprints and DNA were unique!

There is so much for you to accomplish.

Your unique call and purpose can only be fulfilled by you.

God calls you and He equips you for that call.

Can you miss it?

Unfortunately, yes.

Many choose not to believe it or receive it.

I once spoke to someone who thought it was arrogant of me to believe God had a unique call on my life.

They thought it very self-centered.

But the truth is, it beautifully reveals the greatness of God and His creativity and love for each one He has created.

And that especially includes you!

But When God...

“But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace...my immediate response, was not to consult any human being. I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. They only heard the report: “the man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”

And they praised God because of me.”

Galatians 1:15-24 selected

“But when God...”

Do you want to know God’s plan for your life?

Step one is recognition.

Recognition of what?

You must recognize that God does indeed have a purpose and a plan for you.

He does not use a select few.

He uses whoever is willing and surrendered to Him.

Many miss this step for that very reason.

They think God will only use ‘the other person’.

You know; the one who is certainly more qualified and skilled than you.

But there are many qualified and skilled people who are not willing to surrender.

They can handle life on their own.

At least, that’s what they think!

But God will use you, God can use you.

Surrender the weakness, surrender the struggles and watch how He turns them into His strength in you to minister to others.

Are you willing to recognize that?

Then be ready for the “But when God...” moment in your life.

According to the Plan of Him

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,

Ephesians 1:11

God has a plan for your life.

You don’t have to agree with that statement to validate the truth of it.

But you can choose to follow your plan or His.

His is infinitely better than yours.

Maybe you’ve convinced yourself otherwise.

Many do.

And when it doesn’t work out quite as well, guess who gets the blame?

It’s usually God.

But not only are His plans for us good, so is His will.

God loves us and while that seems a ‘know-brainer’ statement too many, it bears repeating and careful consideration the next time you are tempted to do it your own way.

I know we all can be stubborn (believe me that I know this in part from my own experience) but don’t make the mistake of walking carelessly away from Gods’ plan.

Embrace what God created you to do.

We will look at the ‘how-to’ over the next few days.