I came across and interesting passage in Exodus a few weeks ago, Exodus 23:20-33. I've been thinking about it ever since. The passage is God talking to Moses, giving promises and instructions about what is to happen to the Children of Israel when they enter the Promised Land.
I am particularly intrigued by verses 28-30.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.Exodus 23:28-30
I've been thinking about my life and how God has dealt with me. It seems He has used the ‘little by little’ policy with me in many areas. With some things, the moment I acknowledge it is a problem and ask God to remove it, it is gone the next moment. With others I have struggled with for what seems like forever.
Take fear for example. I’ve prayed and agonised over that for years and for the longest time it felt like God was ignoring those prayers. In the last 3 months, since I’ve been in Korea, He’s suddenly started working in this area and I feel fear loosening its grip – for real this time, it’s not just doling out the chains for the pleasure of yanking me back, it’s actually shrinking and I have peace. Thank you God!!!!! However I’ve already talked about fear extensively so I’m not going to go into that again today.
What I find interesting is that looking back in my life, the fear has actually been a protection for me. In the years when I was not following God the only thing that stopped me from doing some really really stupid and self destructive things was the fear. I see this as an example of God allowing the ‘Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites’ to stay in the land until I had increased enough to take possession of it, stopping the ‘wild beasts from becoming too numerous and the land from becoming desolate.’ Basically the fear has stopped me from destroying myself and my future.
In the last three months God has ‘increased’ me; shown me things about myself, taught me lessons I needed to learn, helped me to accept some things, forgive other things, and let go of still others, and most importantly to give everything to Him and rest in the promise that He is the one who works in my life, who sanctifies me, reminding me that it is not me!
While I am exceedingly thankful that God is finally in the process of driving out the ‘Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites’ I can actually look back at the fear now and be thankful. I have an exciting future ahead of me! No idea what God has planed, but I know that whatever it is I’m really going to enjoy exploring this new land!!!
Maybe you should take stock of your own life, what is in your way, stopping you from progressing the way you want to? Maybe God is leaving it there for a reason. Maybe it is a protection – yes it’s not the best circumstance; but, is it better than what is very likely to come in its place if it wasn’t there? Maybe instead of fighting this thing you should thank God for His protection and ask for His help to ‘increase’ you. Then He will be free to drive the ‘Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites’ out of your life and bring you into the land He has prepared for you too.
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