While reading Exodus 23 with the kids this morning, this passage became suddenly alive before me.
“I will not drive them out from before you in one year…”
It reminded me of how God works.
There are times that we keep on asking God why it can’t ALL be done now, why things can’t be FULLY resolved now, why situations can’t be WHOLE or COMPLETELY done now.
It is not that God cannot do it, HE CAN DO all of it in one day. He can give your full restitution in a day, he can solve all your troubles in a day, but this is not about God’s capability to do things, it is about our preparedness and capability to handle the answers he’s about to give.
God’s way to PROTECT US
Verse 29 above is the loving answer of God. “Lest the land become desolate and the wild beasts multiply against you.”
It is for our protection that some of our prayers are not FULLY answered yet, but God answers them LITTLE BY LITTLE.
I remember some conversations with friends one time who wanted a million. I asked them, “Do you know how to handle a million?” My prayer that time was not to have a million which God , I know could give in one day, but my prayer was to gain the wisdom on how to handle finances well.
Sometimes, we ask for an entire city to know God, but do we have leaders ready to disciple them? Do we have workers ready to handle many people at the same time? He does it little by little. The answer sometimes depends on us. I’m pretty sure if we have prepared many workers and leaders to handle the nets for the great catch, God will answer that kind of prayer.
You see, GOD IS ON OUR SIDE. Never believe the lie that God withholds something from us just because he wants to. No. He is willing to let us experience and have many things we need and even want sometimes, but how ready are we? Will giving these things draw us more to God or cause us to drift away from God?
God wants us to INCREASE
Increase is not just in number, but to increase in every area of our lives especially our spiritual lives. Since in that passage above, the enemies will be delivered little by little, it would require us to TRUST daily in God alone.
Increase our faith in him.
Increase our knowledge of him.
Increase in strength.
Increase in wisdom.
In all areas possible, increase.
If you have been praying for something lately and you feel like the answers have not been FULLY answered yet, remember that it is not because God can’t do it, but because he wants to protect us so we can learn to handle it as he gives the fullness of our answers. He wants us to increase in every area, especially our faith, and trust in him as we receive the parts of our answers little by little.
