Thursday, April 25, 2013

the process of maturing

Exodus 23:27 "I will send my terror ahead of you and create panic among all the people whose lands you invade. I will make all your enemies turn and run. 28 I will send terror ahead of you to drive out the Hivites, Canaanites, and Hittites. 29 But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals would multiply and threaten you. 30 I will drive them out a little at a time until your population has increased enough to take possession of the land."

Once we come to the Lord through the miracle of faith we may wonder why life doesn't clear up like a brilliant blue sky, with no hint of difficulty.  After all, have we not become the children of the Lord?  Have we not realized our need for the Lord and our failure to live rightly on our own?  I think this passage from Exodus shines some light on the process of spiritual maturity.  God is the one who drives our enemies away but He doesn't drive them all away immediately.  There is apparently a need for growth, tempering, maturing.  We are not immediately able to fully occupy all the space that the Lord has ultimately for us.  There will be confrontations and battles at each step along the way as we grow to the point where we are able to occupy more of His promised land.  We can find encouragement in the process of maturing...of becoming...of growing...and of the confidence we have in knowing that He is leading us each day, with a plan for an ultimate possession of His land.

love and blessings,
Rob Smith

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