Getting back into the swing of
things with a new year, I was reminded of a verse that I thought I had used in
a prior blog but can’t find now. In Exodus 23:29 (and reiterated in Deuteronomy
7:22), God was instructing the Israelites on what to expect as they entered the
Promised Land: “Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until
you have increased and possess the land” (ESV). He knew they would soon get
disheartened if they thought they had to defeat all the resident nations at
once. He also knew they would be vulnerable to defeat if they didn’t have
enough people to fill the available space.
This verse is one that has
encouraged me in the past and I often need to be reminded of, because the same
truths apply to our Christian walk and growth in sanctification. God never said
that we would instantly be free from temptation and would never fall into sin
again once we were converted. It doesn’t even happen in a year or two, though
some believers might give that impression. It is a lifetime experience of
fighting battles and gaining ground as God gives the victory.
The Israelites were reminded,
“If you say in your heart, ‘These nations are greater than I. How can I
dispossess them?’ you shall not be afraid of them but you shall remember what
the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt” (Deut. 7:17-18). When the
battles are long and victory seems impossible, we can remember God’s work in
the past and trust Him for the future. He will have the ultimate victory.
If we were instantly sanctified
and never had to fight any battles, we would soon forget our need for God, just
as Israel did. “Lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good
houses... 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” (Deut.
8:12-14). Our weakness is intended to remind us of God’s strength (2
Corinthians 12:9). God allows us to go through the battles to test us and
humble us so we will remember to rely on Him. “And you shall remember the whole
way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness,
that He might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether
you would keep His commandments or not” (Deut. 8:2).
No matter how long the battles
may last, we can take heart as we know that God is able to bring the victory
and He will not stop until the job is done. He was faithful to Israel, and He
will be faithful to us. He knows our weakness and our struggles. He has never
stopped fulfilling His plan for His chosen people. He can be trusted to work
out His will in His own perfect timing. Let us not become discouraged at the
pace of our progress in sanctification, or disheartened with the difficult
circumstances that surround us. His steadfast love endures forever.
“And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring
it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).
© 2016 Dawn Rutan.
