Deuteronomy 7: 22 “And the Lord your God will clear away these nations before you little by little (step by step). You may not make an end of them at once, lest the wild beasts grow too numerous for you.”  As God and His chosen leaders led the Children of Israel into the Promised Land, the success was dependent on God’s leading little by little or step by step.  Why?  Why would God simply not just defeat the enemy in short order and give them the land without long conflict and obedience to His promise?  One reason is given at the end of our Scripture today.  If His people advanced too quickly and did not wait for God’s timing and their own development and fighting skills, the beasts or enemies would grow too strong and numerous in short order to fight back; rather than slowly being overtaken little by little.  The second reason is so important for us to consider and is found in the next chapter of Deuteronomy (8:14) “Then your heart becomes proud and you forget the Lord your God who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.”  Wow!  God know man and how he becomes proud and forgets Him when things are not done in order or come too easily.  Look at how often instant success results in pride and forgetting God.  This is so evident in our world today with instant riches or the lottery, fame in sports, power in politics and business and even religious leaders. 

When we lead our families, work, church community, we must realize that there are specific steps to take along the way to get to where we need to be and to where God wants us.  We must persevere and keep our eyes on Jesus, lest we become proud of our achievements and forget our dependence on Him.  This is the way to lead your family and children and to show them that God leads you step by step as you walk with Him.  Instant success and leadership do not last.  They are both earned through experience and growth over a period of time as we follow God’s path and provisions.  Pride is what keeps man from accepting Christ and pride is what makes man self dependent, rather than God dependent.  Life is not a 100 meter dash. Your last name is not Bolt. Life is a marathon of perseverance, obedience and dependence on a loving God who wants the best for us.  Trust Him and walk with Him step by step as His path is best.