Taking Ground | Week 2
Day 2
“Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land.” -Exodus 23:30
There is something incredibly comforting, and terribly frustrating, about God’s words in Exodus 23. “Little by little.” It almost sounds gentle, like God is easing the people into their inheritance. But if you're anything like the rest of us, you probably wish God said, “All at once.”
Israel is about to enter the land God promised them, and you’d think after 400 years of slavery and 40 years of wandering, God would just hand it all over with one dramatic moment. But that wasn’t the plan. Their victory would come slowly, steadily, and intentionally, little by little.
And honestly, that’s how most of life works. We love instant transformation. We want to pray one prayer and see everything change. But spiritual maturity doesn’t happen overnight. Healing rarely happens overnight. Restoring confidence, building discipline, strengthening faith, it all happens through incremental growth.
Sunday’s message reminded us: “Success in most things won’t come by a gigantic stroke of faith but simple incremental progress.”
We can relate, can’t we? We start the year inspired. We buy the book. Sign up for the gym. Print the Bible plan. Promise ourselves that this time will be different. But what often derails us isn’t the lack of desire, it’s the lack of patience. We underestimate how powerful small, consistent steps can be.
Joshua understood this deeply. By the time he steps into leadership, he’s spent four decades being shaped, molded, and developed. And the truth is, God didn’t waste a single year of it. Joshua had been quietly preparing long before anyone noticed. He had been learning to be faithful in the background, and that faithfulness became the foundation for his future.
There’s also this truth from Sunday worth holding onto: “We do not decide our future; we decide our habits and our habits decide our future.”
That’s such a grounding, freeing perspective. God wasn’t slow in giving Israel the land, He was wise. He was protecting them from possessing more than their character could sustain. He was growing them into people who could handle blessings without collapsing under it.
Think about how that relates to us:
We want a big impact, but God invites us to start with small obedience.
We want breakthroughs, but God works through daily faithfulness.
We want the finished product, but God focuses on formation.
And formation happens… little by little.
Pastor Chad also shared with us the story of Cleanthes, the slow-learning student nicknamed, “The Donkey.” Everyone underestimated him because he wasn’t impressive, flashy, or quick. But he showed up every day. He listened. He learned. He stayed consistent. And in the end, he became the one chosen to lead.
That’s the picture of spiritual growth. Not instant brilliance. Not overnight transformation. Just showing up, again and again.
You don’t need to have it all figured out today. You don’t need to accomplish everything this month. You don’t need to feel pressure to “arrive.” God isn’t asking you to sprint. He’s asking you to keep moving forward, even if the steps feel small.
Because small steps still move you forward. Small disciplines still change your life. Small obediences still please God.
And maybe that’s the invitation for this season: to embrace the slow, steady, faithful work of God in your life. To trust that He is doing more than you can see. To believe that little by little is not a delay, it’s the design.
