Bit By Bit

In Deuteronomy 7:22, the Lord said something quite interesting, "The Lord your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little. You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals will multiply around you."  Their people had been in captivity 400 years, they had wandered in the desert 40 years - now was their time, they were ready to take the land. The reality was, however, while they were ready, they were not prepared. The land and the beasts therein, would have devoured them.

Do you remember when you were old enough to make all your oen decisions?  What were you, about 12 or so?  You were ready to take on the world, except that your parents knew the world would eat you alive. I didn't think I needed that last year of high school. I only stayed in for my parents' sake. I had no idea how much more preparation I would need to enter the land God had in mind for me. I had no idea of the "wild beasts" that crouched before me.

Many have jumped into a marriage without the slightest preparation for the difficulties they would face only to be devoured by the demands of the relationship. Others have accepted a promotion, thinking it was their time, but not having a clue of how much would be required of them and just how untamed the "beasts" around them would be - often to go from promotion to demotion or unemployment in rapid succession.

Solomon once wrote, "The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride" (Eccles 7:8).  That is to say that it is far less important when you begin than how you end. Patience on the front end, taking the time and expending the energy to be ready before launching out, will serve you much better in the end than pridefully running headlong into more than you bargained for.  

Perhaps you remember the Proverb,  "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall" (16:18).  A little humility now, admitting you are not quite ready and a bit of patience as you prepare for the future, will be so worth it then.  There's another, lesser know and not inspired, proverb you may have heard: How does one eat an elephant?  One bite at a time!

Jus' Sayn.