Deuteronomy 7:22a (ESV)
“The LORD your God will clear away these nations before you little by little.”
I was sitting at lunch with somebody earlier this week, and we started talking about the Garth Brooks song “Unanswered Prayers.” If you’re a country music fan like me, you probably remember that song and may know every word by heart. If you haven’t heard it, it’s about looking back on something you once desperately wanted and realizing you’re thankful life turned out differently. At the time, you couldn’t imagine why God wouldn’t give you what you were asking for. Later, you could see what you couldn’t see then.
That conversation got me thinking about how often we pray with a particular outcome already in mind. We know what we want, when we want it, and how we think it should happen. We bring that request to God, which is exactly what we should do. But somewhere along the way, we can begin to measure His faithfulness by whether He follows the plan we brought Him. When things unfold differently, we wonder whether He heard us at all.
Deuteronomy 7 gives us a different perspective. Israel was preparing to enter the land God had promised them, and Moses was helping them understand what obedience would require. There were nations ahead of them that were larger and stronger. There would be battles, resistance, and the temptation to adopt the worship practices of the people around them. God had promised to bring His people into the land, but they still needed to trust Him as they moved forward.
Before Moses addressed their fears, he reminded them why they belonged to God. They hadn’t been chosen because they were the biggest nation or because they had something impressive to offer. Their relationship with Him began with His love and His faithfulness to the promise He had made. That mattered because the challenges ahead could easily make them question their standing with Him. They needed to remember that His love hadn’t been earned by their strength, and it wasn’t going to disappear because they felt weak.
Then Moses told them something they might not have expected. God would clear away the nations ahead of them little by little. I wonder how that landed with the people listening. After everything they had been through, they probably would have preferred to hear that every obstacle would disappear immediately. They had already spent years in the wilderness. Surely, once they entered the land, things could finally move quickly. Yet God was preparing them for a process that would require continued dependence.
The reason Moses gave was surprisingly practical. If the land was cleared too quickly, wild animals could multiply beyond Israel’s ability to manage them. Removing one challenge all at once would create another problem. God understood the entire situation, including consequences His people might never have considered. They could see the opposition in front of them. He could also see what would happen after that opposition was gone. The pace He established took both into account.
That helps me think differently about the things I ask God to do. I tend to focus on whatever is making life difficult right now. If this situation would change, if that opportunity would open, if this problem would finally be resolved, then everything would be better. Sometimes that may be true. But I don’t always understand everything attached to the answer I’m requesting. There may be responsibilities I haven’t considered or preparation I still need. God’s wisdom reaches beyond the part of the situation that has my attention.
This passage was a specific promise to Israel about entering the land. It doesn’t mean we can explain every delay in our own lives or assume we know why a particular prayer hasn’t been answered the way we hoped. Some disappointments remain painful, and some questions remain unanswered. We don’t have to pretend otherwise. We can still learn from what God revealed about Himself here: He was attentive to His people’s needs, including needs they couldn’t yet recognize.
Maybe you’re in a season where progress feels painfully slow. You’re working toward financial stability, rebuilding trust in a relationship, or trying to change a pattern that has been part of your life for years. You’ve prayed, taken steps, and tried to be faithful, but you wish you were further along. It’s easy to overlook the progress that has happened because you’re focused on how much remains. A small step can feel insignificant when you’re staring at a long road.
Rather than deciding nothing is happening, take a moment to notice what has changed. Are you responding with more patience? Have you become more willing to ask for help? Are you making wiser decisions than you were six months ago? Those things matter, even if the circumstances still need attention. Keep doing what you know is right today. Make the phone call, keep the commitment, follow through on the plan, and continue bringing your needs to God.
That lunch conversation reminded me that there are things we understand much more clearly when we look back. Sometimes we become thankful for an answer that looked different from our request. Other times, we’re still waiting for that perspective. Either way, we can bring our desires honestly to God while leaving room for His wisdom. He knows what we’re asking for, and He knows everything that comes with it. We can trust Him enough to take the next step, even when the progress comes little by little.
Prayer
Father, thank You for hearing us when we pray. You know the things we’re hoping for and the situations we wish would change. Help us trust Your wisdom when the answer comes differently or more slowly than we wanted. Give us patience without allowing us to become passive. Show us the steps of obedience we can take today, and help us recognize the growth we might otherwise overlook. When we don’t understand, keep us close to You. Teach us to trust Your faithfulness throughout the process. In Jesus’ name, amen.