30 Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land.
As the Lord instructs the Israelites about their upcoming possession of the land, He lets them know that it will be a gradual process. Remember, they have been slaves. They don’t know how to run a society. They don’t know how to carry out justice. They don’t know how to run an economy. They lack the skills to manage large tracks of land. They have been slaves. Now they must learn to manage themselves. So the Lord lets them know that the task ahead will be a gradual one. They will not take possession of the land all at once. They can’t handle the responsibility yet. Our lives are a training process. The Lord wants to teach me certain things right now that will be used later in life. I must learn the current lessons in order to be able to take on the tasks of the future. It can provide a larger perspective to current difficulties if we realize they are preparing us for the future. Each lesson will help us in a future endeavor. All of life is preparation. As I look back over my years I can see the Lord’s hand preparing me for my current duties. At the time I was going through those experiences I could not see how they would fit into God’s will. I could only see the pain those experiences were creating. But now, I can see the Lord’s hand at work in multiple ways preparing me for today. Those experiences taught me lessons that are needed today. The Lord did not put all those lessons in a single day. I would not have been able to stand. They would have overwhelmed me. So it is with the Israelites. Their process of taking the Promised Land and expelling its inhabitants would take time, a time of learning and trusting. Could you look at your current difficulties as preparation for a future designed by the Lord? The current crisis is building into you the faith you will need for your future. God has a plan. Learn to live it.
The Arnold Journey 