We all wish God would snap his fingers and make our lives easier. We wish nicotine cravings would simply disappear, depression would magically lift, or our broken relationships would be immediately restored. Instead, it can seem like God is taking too long to answer our prayers. We wonder if he’s even listening.
The Israelites got it. After 430 years of slavery, they finally escaped Egypt and were making the trek home to Canaan. Even though the Israelites had waited a loooong time for this, God didn’t snap his fingers and give them everything.
God told Moses, “I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run. 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 23:27-30). They would have to be patient, because if they were successful all at once, they wouldn’t be able to handle it.
Hmm. Maybe when we think God is acting at a glacial pace, he’s actually working little by little to develop patience, perseverance, and wisdom in us. Maybe he’s excited to bless us, but we aren’t quite ready for it. Maybe we can learn to wait patiently as God works in us until we have “increased enough” to be ready for what he has in store for us.
