Have you ever asked that question? To God? To a friend? To a pastor? As growing christians, we tend to get frustrated with our "spiritual" shortcomings.
We don't wake up as early as we need to in order to spend quality time in God's word.
I'm so lazy!
We can't bring ourselves to share the gospel with that co-worker we know needs Jesus.
I'm so dad-gum scared!
We determine our actions and appearances based on what others think.
Why do I care so much!
There are so many examples of stuff like this. Things that we think because we have been christians for a minute we should be over. We shouldn't struggle with this anymore. We should be more "mature" than this. I've asked myself questions like this all the time. I've asked God why, I've asked friends why, I've asked pastors and men who have discipled me why. "Please God take these weaknesses away so I can get on to advancing your kingdom and be a 'better' christian!!"
Just this morning I was reading in Deuteronomy chapter 7. FULL DISCLOSURE: I'm currently trying to catch back up on a bible reading plan my small group started back in October to get through the Bible in a year. I am really behind, like three books behind (God why do I always get so far behind when I do reading plans?)!! I came to verses 21 and 22. It says:
You shall not be in dread of them, for the Lord your God is in your midst, a great and awesome God. The Lord your God will clear away these nations before you little by little.
These verses come from when the Israelites are waiting on the plains of Moab to enter Canaan, the promised land. God is speaking thru Moses telling them that he will give the peoples of the land of Canaan into the hands of the Israelites when they enter the land, that he will "clear away" the nations before them. What stuck out to me though in these two verses was the phrase "little by little." What is that about? Then I read later in chapter 8 verses 11-17 the following:
Take care lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statues, which I command you today, lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. Beware lest you say in your heart, "My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth."
Thanks for bearing with me there. So after I read that little passage, some dots started connecting for me. What if God had not said "little by little?" What if he would have just destroyed everybody in their way and desolated every city and army that Israel would have to face all at once? I think the passage in chapter 8 helps us out here.
***Before I go any further, I just want to state that this is my personal interpretation that I believe to be accurate and consistent with other biblical texts. I have not read this in a commentary or in a study bible.***
I think that little by little detail is there because of the reality of chapter 8:11-17. The Israelites were already prone to quickly beginning to worship other things besides God. How quickly would they have starting worshipping themselves for their military prowess and celebrating themselves and their agricultural skills for how well the land would grow crop if every obstacle they faced was immediately and totally wiped out? In a "little by little" situation, you still have to trust God along the way. You still have to stand face to face with an opponent that is real, and actually much stronger and bigger than you. You still have to go to battle with armies that outnumber you and only on the Word of God can you stand. Nothing else is telling you that you will win, that you will survive. Little by little still requires faith and trust. It requires you to admit your dependency and weakness in and of yourself. God is sovereignly dragging this out a little, to make for himself a people that completely and fully trust him and love him. God is clearing obstacles little by little to build, and to shape, and to strengthen, and to love his people.
Now we know from the scripture that Israel will still go down a road of idolatry and they will suffer the consequences. However, I think from these couple verses we can draw out a principle or truth to apply to the situation we find ourselves in so often, namely the why won't God make me better right now situation. Maybe God is clearing away little by little the immaturities of your walk with him. Of course we know that in our weakness his power is perfected (2 Corinthians 12:9), but in the things that we "should" be growing in, things that take us through this process we call sanctification, things that grow as love for God grows, in these things He will clear away obstacles little by little.
We aren't supposed to become christians and then be the boldest gospel proclaimers that we know the next week. We aren't supposed to get up every day at 5am to study God's word when we don't even know where different books of the bible are. Let me be clear here, I'm not saying that if you did just become a christian last week, and you literally share the gospel with everyone you know, that you're not supposed to! What I'm saying is that the vast majority of christians, at least young American christians, aren't there. Most of us aren't there because God is clearing away those cities little by little. All we have to do is as Deuteronomy 6:5 says "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might."
If we are doing this, God will clear away the cities. If we are trusting him, God will give us deeper and more certain trust. If we are seeking him, He will give us keener eyes to see. If we are speaking the gospel to others, even just a little bit, he will give us a louder, more confident voice.
So back to the question we asked at the beginning, Why won't God make me the boldest, wisest, most compassionate christian I can be right now? I believe it's because God, in his sovereign wisdom, is divinely protecting you from self worship. He is protecting you from thinking that you know exactly the right words to say to convert someone and not depending on the Holy Spirit to give you words. He is saving you from getting to the point where you get up early and read God's word just so you can "know" more than others or so you can win arguments with theology and apologetics. He is saving you from worshipping yourself, from worshipping the created over the creator. He is loving you with a steadfast love. He is "doing you good" in the end as chapter 8 verse 16 says.
So, when you find yourself getting frustrated with God, that you still struggle with the same things. Still too afraid, still too ignorant, still too unholy, still too ___________, Trust him. Love him. Seek him with all your heart. Matthew 6:33 says to "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Seek and love God, and you will become a more disciplined Bible reader. Seek and love God, and you will become a more bold gospel sharer. Seek and love God and you will become a more compassionate and helpful person. But don't seek and love God for these things, seek and love God to love God more. Seek and love God because he loved you first and sent his Son to die for you. Run towards God and he will clear away the cities that stand in your way:
LITTLE BY LITTLE.
We don't wake up as early as we need to in order to spend quality time in God's word.
I'm so lazy!
We can't bring ourselves to share the gospel with that co-worker we know needs Jesus.
I'm so dad-gum scared!
We determine our actions and appearances based on what others think.
Why do I care so much!
There are so many examples of stuff like this. Things that we think because we have been christians for a minute we should be over. We shouldn't struggle with this anymore. We should be more "mature" than this. I've asked myself questions like this all the time. I've asked God why, I've asked friends why, I've asked pastors and men who have discipled me why. "Please God take these weaknesses away so I can get on to advancing your kingdom and be a 'better' christian!!"
Just this morning I was reading in Deuteronomy chapter 7. FULL DISCLOSURE: I'm currently trying to catch back up on a bible reading plan my small group started back in October to get through the Bible in a year. I am really behind, like three books behind (God why do I always get so far behind when I do reading plans?)!! I came to verses 21 and 22. It says:
You shall not be in dread of them, for the Lord your God is in your midst, a great and awesome God. The Lord your God will clear away these nations before you little by little.
These verses come from when the Israelites are waiting on the plains of Moab to enter Canaan, the promised land. God is speaking thru Moses telling them that he will give the peoples of the land of Canaan into the hands of the Israelites when they enter the land, that he will "clear away" the nations before them. What stuck out to me though in these two verses was the phrase "little by little." What is that about? Then I read later in chapter 8 verses 11-17 the following:
Take care lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statues, which I command you today, lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. Beware lest you say in your heart, "My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth."
Thanks for bearing with me there. So after I read that little passage, some dots started connecting for me. What if God had not said "little by little?" What if he would have just destroyed everybody in their way and desolated every city and army that Israel would have to face all at once? I think the passage in chapter 8 helps us out here.
***Before I go any further, I just want to state that this is my personal interpretation that I believe to be accurate and consistent with other biblical texts. I have not read this in a commentary or in a study bible.***
I think that little by little detail is there because of the reality of chapter 8:11-17. The Israelites were already prone to quickly beginning to worship other things besides God. How quickly would they have starting worshipping themselves for their military prowess and celebrating themselves and their agricultural skills for how well the land would grow crop if every obstacle they faced was immediately and totally wiped out? In a "little by little" situation, you still have to trust God along the way. You still have to stand face to face with an opponent that is real, and actually much stronger and bigger than you. You still have to go to battle with armies that outnumber you and only on the Word of God can you stand. Nothing else is telling you that you will win, that you will survive. Little by little still requires faith and trust. It requires you to admit your dependency and weakness in and of yourself. God is sovereignly dragging this out a little, to make for himself a people that completely and fully trust him and love him. God is clearing obstacles little by little to build, and to shape, and to strengthen, and to love his people.
Now we know from the scripture that Israel will still go down a road of idolatry and they will suffer the consequences. However, I think from these couple verses we can draw out a principle or truth to apply to the situation we find ourselves in so often, namely the why won't God make me better right now situation. Maybe God is clearing away little by little the immaturities of your walk with him. Of course we know that in our weakness his power is perfected (2 Corinthians 12:9), but in the things that we "should" be growing in, things that take us through this process we call sanctification, things that grow as love for God grows, in these things He will clear away obstacles little by little.
We aren't supposed to become christians and then be the boldest gospel proclaimers that we know the next week. We aren't supposed to get up every day at 5am to study God's word when we don't even know where different books of the bible are. Let me be clear here, I'm not saying that if you did just become a christian last week, and you literally share the gospel with everyone you know, that you're not supposed to! What I'm saying is that the vast majority of christians, at least young American christians, aren't there. Most of us aren't there because God is clearing away those cities little by little. All we have to do is as Deuteronomy 6:5 says "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might."
If we are doing this, God will clear away the cities. If we are trusting him, God will give us deeper and more certain trust. If we are seeking him, He will give us keener eyes to see. If we are speaking the gospel to others, even just a little bit, he will give us a louder, more confident voice.
So back to the question we asked at the beginning, Why won't God make me the boldest, wisest, most compassionate christian I can be right now? I believe it's because God, in his sovereign wisdom, is divinely protecting you from self worship. He is protecting you from thinking that you know exactly the right words to say to convert someone and not depending on the Holy Spirit to give you words. He is saving you from getting to the point where you get up early and read God's word just so you can "know" more than others or so you can win arguments with theology and apologetics. He is saving you from worshipping yourself, from worshipping the created over the creator. He is loving you with a steadfast love. He is "doing you good" in the end as chapter 8 verse 16 says.
So, when you find yourself getting frustrated with God, that you still struggle with the same things. Still too afraid, still too ignorant, still too unholy, still too ___________, Trust him. Love him. Seek him with all your heart. Matthew 6:33 says to "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Seek and love God, and you will become a more disciplined Bible reader. Seek and love God, and you will become a more bold gospel sharer. Seek and love God and you will become a more compassionate and helpful person. But don't seek and love God for these things, seek and love God to love God more. Seek and love God because he loved you first and sent his Son to die for you. Run towards God and he will clear away the cities that stand in your way:
LITTLE BY LITTLE.
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