Exodus 23:29-30
I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee.  By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land.

Even as Israel was still wandering around, God was preparing them for what was to come.  He was telling them how to live in a land that they had not yet entered into.  He was telling them what they would need to do once they got where they were going.  He was still preparing them and preparing that place even as it may have seemed like nothing was really happening and they weren’t ever going to reach that goal.

So often we want everything all at once—the victory and the blessing and the complete fulfillment of all the promises.  But often we must go little by little.  It takes time to go step by step.  For Israel, they got stronger along the way, and that fruitful land would not become desolate while it waited for them to take it.  It was necessary and for Israel’s best interested to have this delayed, gradual conquering of the land.  And in this way, what would have been overwhelming was taken care of bit by bit.

In our lives, God goes with us one step at a time.  He provides day by day.  He gives us enough for the moment and makes a way when a way is needed.  He doesn’t overwhelm us with everything at once, but we go forward little by little to overcome.  We have small victories that add up to a big change within us.  Our faith grows as we walk along and notice all those little ways that God works.  And the result of that piecemeal kind of growth is continual fruitfulness.

So, let’s be patient in our walk with God.  Let’s allow Him to set the pace.  God was the one driving Israel’s enemies out anyway, so they didn’t need to be in a hurry.  Let’s trust God’s timing, knowing that it will always be perfect.  Because even taking it slowly, going little by little, when we look back after a while, we’ll be amazed at how far God has brought us.  And when we take our first step into that special victory God will bring, it will be that much sweeter, knowing all that it took to get there.