Remember who God is. (Deuteronomy 6:4)

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.” 

When we use the name “The LORD,” we are confessing something very powerful about the nature of God. By definition, “The LORD” means “self-existent or eternal,” and is related to a word which means “to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass; accomplished, committed, break, cause.” When we use the name “God,” we are identifying this eternal being as the supreme existence. The fact that this eternal and supreme being is “one” means that He is the first, alone in His likeness. This should serve as great motivation to confidently enter the battles we face, since God, by His very nature, always accomplishes and brings to pass what He wills, and there are none who can challenge or rival His greatness. Just as Israel needed to be reminded of the power and glory of the God they served, we too need to be reminded of the limitless existence and power of our Father.

The battle belongs to the LORD. (Deuteronomy 7:17-19)

“If you say in your heart, ‘These nations are greater than I. How can I dispossess them?’ you shall not be afraid of them but you shall remember what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and  to all Egypt, the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs, the wonders, the mighty hand, and the outstretched arm, by which the LORD your God brought you out. So will the LORD your God do to all the peoples of whom you are afraid.”

Israel needed to be reminded that it was the strength of God that assured victory, and the reminder He gave them was of the triumph they had already experienced by following Him. Israel was not at all a great and powerful nation by themselves, yet God had already led them to safety and destroyed the nation of Egypt in front of their very eyes. What kind of daunting struggles do we face? Do we say in our hearts, “These things are too overwhelming. How can I ever overcome them?” We should not be afraid but we should remember what the LORD our God did for us, releasing us from the bondage of sin and destroying our old inner self. So will the LORD our God do for us as we continue to meet even the particularly frightening challenges to being the holy people He calls us to be.

“Little by little.” (Deuteronomy 7:22)

“The LORD your God will clear away these nations before you little by little. You may not make an end of them at once, lest the wild beasts grow too numerous for you.”

God knows what we can handle. More accurately, God knows what He has equipped us to be able to handle. God knows that gradual progression, rather than instant gratification, is best. When we face difficult times in this life as God’s people, we should certainly remember who God is and that He assures victory, but we should also remember that He gives us victory “little by little.” We may be tempted to forget what God has already done for us and what He has promised to continue doing when we begin focusing on how we are not overcoming quickly enough for our liking. Every challenge will not be overcome all at once. If you really think about it, our lives are not long enough for us to face every conceivable challenge under the sun anyway. We should be grateful as we notice the victories to which God leads us, and we should patiently endure as He continues to lead with His mighty hand.