It’s easy to feel like our progress is too slow or that we’re not moving forward at all. Growth can often appear stalled, leaving us unmotivated to continue. However, it’s important to recognize the power of steady progress—step by step, little by little.
Life isn’t about quick fixes; it’s a process of taking small steps, little by little, in the right direction. The key is making sure we’re headed the right way. We see this principle in almost every aspect of life. Plants grow gradually to become towering trees, a little faith can move mountains, and small axes eventually bring down large trees. Even the floods of our tears come drop by drop, little by little.
Your Own Promised Land
Little by little is a foundational principle of God. We see this when God led the Israelites into the promised land. They faced many enemies, but God reassured them by saying, “Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land.”
Is God guiding you toward your own promised land, step by step? Are you feeling frustrated with the small progress you’re making? Be encouraged. This principle of gradual growth is essential—it can’t be rushed or ignored, but it must be trusted and followed.
Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land.
Step By Faith
Our little steps do not matter as long as we are going in the right direction. In God’s economy faith is the currency and is all that matters. If our direction is a direction of faith then time is of little relevance. The Bible says that without faith it is impossible to please God. This is quite contrary to the economy of man where time is the currency. We trade time for money and in this process we lose our souls. Yet if we trade our faith in God’s economy we will receive His great blessing in return. The world teaches us to move quickly but God teaches us to move faithfully. Move faithfully.
Get Your Directions Right
Consider the man who is going full speed in the wrong direction. It doesn’t matter how convinced or convicted he is, this man is destined for a big crash. Yet the one who moves slowly in the right direction will inevitably find his way home. This person might be moving little by little but this does not matter as long as it is in the right direction. Therefore, above all we must ensure we get our directions right.
Follow Christ
The right direction is when we follow Christ. We must turn from our old ways and follow the new way of the Spirit which leads us into the promised land of life. The Bible says “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat.”
I lived in Canada for a number of years and one thing that stands out is the road network. Canada’s highways are broad and well paved but Canada in general is going in the wrong direction. Canada is a nation of sin (the world is) that is leading to hell yet there are many people who cherish and love it. I believe that this explains Jesus when He says “broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be that go in thereat.”
We must travel on the narrow way that leads us to the fountain of life. Take some time and think about the direction you are going. Is this a direction that is built on the principle of God? Are your steps ordered by the Lord? If your direction seems right and it is not Biblical then it is not the right direction. The right direction is when we travel on the narrow way that leads us to life regardless of what others think or how right it might seem.
Don't Be Distracted
As we go, little by little, we must ensure we stay on the right path of life. It’s easy to get distracted, and this is one of satan’s key strategies. He is very deliberate in diverting our attention, steering us away from the direction God intends for us. We need to be mindful of this reality and actively guard against it. There are countless distractions in life, things that can pull us off course, but there is only one true way—God’s way. We must be intentional in following this path and resist anything that leads us astray.
In John 14:6 Jesus is quoted as saying “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Whichever way that does not go through Jesus Christ of Nazareth is the wrong way and we must seek to turn in the right direction. We live in a world where man follows after his own heart which is usually after vanity. We are trained like this from a very tender age.
My main aim while I was growing up was to achieve a lot of things and get a big status in society. As I grew older I discovered that the true meaning of life is to follow Christ. We cannot deny that we need earthly things to survive but we must not be distracted by them or to make them our main focus. Our main focus should be to follow Christ and walk in the direction of faith. Don’t be distracted.
Let Your Faith Make The Big Steps For You
We can use little faith to move big mountains. While in the physical realm it may appear that we’re only making small steps, in the spirit, those steps can be monumental acts of faith. The reality is that any step taken in the right direction spiritually is a huge step. On the contrary, large strides in the natural world might be insignificant or even non-existent in the spiritual realm. That’s why we must allow our faith to lead the way, making the true progress for us.
Often, we must become small in the flesh to grow large in the spirit. The physical body and the spiritual body are constantly at odds, moving in opposite directions. The physical body is born with an expiration date, but the spiritual body is called to grow and be transformed into the full measure of Christ.
As we journey, our goal should be to grow in the direction of faith. Whether our steps are small or large, what matters is that we continue growing in faith’s direction.
Don't Give Up
As you go, and as you row, and as you cut through the waves of life, be keen to never give up. You must exercise patience in all you do, waiting on the timing of God. When you grow weary you must remember that they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. I love to encourage others to not give up. This is mainly because I know how easy it is to do so. Many people give along the broken roads we often have to go through. These roads might injury us and we might decide to just give in. But don’t give in. You must go on, and on, and on. As you do this God Most High will bring you to the promised land.
As I stated earlier, you just have to ensure that you are going in the right direction. If you are going down a wrong road then for sure you must give up, turn and correct your path. In fact as you trust in the Lord with all of your heart He promises to direct your path. So first and foremost you must trust in the Lord with the full measure of your heart. As you perform this act of faith then you must also believe that God is leading you beside still waters.
Stay Hydrated With The Water of Encouragement
Encouragement is like water that keeps us keeping on. You can encourage yourself in any direction of your liking. Yet the only sensible direction is the direction of God. As a result you must encourage yourself in the direction of God.
We read in the book of Samuels that David the servant of God was greatly distressed yet he encouraged himself in the Lord. David could have encouraged himself in many other things but he was very careful to encourage himself in the Lord his God. As he did this God strengthened him and gave him the power to go on. You too must stay hydrated in the spirit by encouraging yourself in the Lord. This might be in the form of Biblical affirmations or just reading the promises of God out loud, but regardless we must encourage ourselves in the Lord.
Concluding Thoughts
Little by little is a great principle of God. We must recognize with this principle and be patient in allowing it to happen. If we look around us we will see that this principle resonates in almost every aspect of life. Plants grow little by little, the rain falls little by little and we often have to take little steps in the right direction.
As we go we must stay hydrated with the water of encouragement. God will help us as we put our trust in Him. He is very faithful concerning His promises and we too must be faithful in following Him and making our little steps of faith. As we do this we can be assured that God will lead us into the promised land. God bless you as you go, little by little.
