If you were to ask any quality psychotherapist, fitness trainer, nutritionist, financial advisor, or AA counselor- anyone in the changing business- will tell you that the chief complaint of those trying to change their ways is, "Why does it have to take so long?"  And honestly, the answer is that it just does. Significant, long-lasting change just takes time-there are no shortcuts.  Somethings just happen little by little.  Sometimes sobriety and recovery take time, sometimes relationships get stronger over time, sometimes our children won't get it right away- it takes time. Somethings just happen little by little.

 

As we continue in our text, we find that the Israelites were making a new way of life for themselves little by little.  God wants them, and us, to know that there are so many things in life that will only happen little by little. So how do we participate with God in gradual growth that He implements in our lives?  We see from the Israelites that our expectations and endurance will lead to the expansion of our lives. So we don't need to lose heart when things aren't moving fast enough for us-we have to remember that sometimes growth comes little by little.