I’ve been working through the Bible in a year, thanks to the Read Scripture App and the Bible Project. If you’re familiar with Harry Potter, you’ll remember the sorting hat scene. Scripture is kind of like that; we read it while it reads us. “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” Hebrews 4:12
Lately, this passage from Deuteronomy has stood out to me:
“No, do not be afraid of those nations, for the Lord your God is among you, and he is a great and awesome God. The Lord your God will drive those nations out ahead of you little by little. You will not clear them away all at once, otherwise the wild animals would multiply too quickly for you. But the Lord your God will hand them over to you. He will throw them into complete confusion until they are destroyed. He will put their kings in your power, and you will erase their names from the face of the earth. No one will be able to stand against you, and you will destroy them all.” Deuteronomy 7:21-24
I’ve got big dreams. Sometimes they inspire me, but usually they just frustrate me. Why? Because they feel so far off.
At times like these, it’s good to remember passages like this. When it comes to winning, sometimes it’s not a matter of “if” but “when”. God’s timing is perfect. He knows how much we can take, how fast we can move, what obstacles we will face, where we need to mature in order to be successful. He would rather move us towards gradual victory than sudden defeat.
God wants to help us win in ways we can handle so that we aren’t defeated by success. We become defeating by success when we win too much, too soon – similar to a young professional athlete whose competence far outweighs their character.
If you got everything you wanted, right now, would you have what it takes to sustain it? Probably not. Like many lottery winners, odds are you wouldn’t steward it well. We become eligible through the effort, and we’re tested over time.
Assuming all this is true, then the question is not “Why is this taking so long?” but “What is my next step, and will I trust God?”
