Little by Little, by Don Cartledge, LAC Cuba Network

Don and Jacquie Cartledge, LAC Cuba Network

     

      In the devotional book, "Faith's Checkbook" by Charles Spurgeon, the November 23rd entry is titled, "Acquiring Perseverance" and he uses this text from Deuteronomy 7:22 (KJV):

"The Lord thy God will put out those nations before thee little by little."

  Spurgeon begins by saying that "we are not expected to win victories for the Lord Jesus by a single blow."  We are inclined to want to land a "knockout punch" and to win the battle in a single stroke, but the body blows we land over the duration of a 10, 12 or 15 round fight will take their toll and "little by little" win the victory.

     Sometimes we are called to simply carry on the war through years of labor, fighting with all our might, and little evidence of success.

    He continues by saying that our business in this world is "to conquer it for Jesus."   We are to be involved in pushing back evil by waging an "unceasing war with iniquity" and this is what we are to "put out."    But only God can make this happen through us: "Jehovah...will put out those nations before thee."

     And so we come to the key principle of "little by little."    God works by degrees, always from lesser to greater so that we can "learn patience, increase in faith, earnestly watch and avoid carnal security [leaning on the arm of the flesh]."

    This takes place as we "thank God for a little success and pray for more."  Spurgeon urges us to:

 "never sheathe the sword till the whole land is won for Jesus."

    We must take heart then, going on little by little, for "many littles will make a great whole."

    Let us echo and live in the light of the "law of cumulation" as expressed by basketball legend Bobby Knight, "The result of many little things is not little."

Here we stand, a veritable rock of salvation in this drifting world.

Reflection for 2018 by Dale Coad (written December 31, 2017)

Greetings from bitterly cold Pittsboro (Raleigh area) in North Carolina where the Coad-Comellas clan of 19 people celebrated Christmas and are waiting to welcome in the New Year of 2018.   As so many are doing in these closing hours of 2017, I am reflecting on where we've come from and where we are going.

In my office, I have a phrase from a speech that Winston Churchill gave that capture my attention several years ago.  I reminds me that life is in fact a series of events infused with victories, disappointments and future glory.

Addressing the House of Commons during Great Britain's bitter war with Nazi Germany after a series of defeats from Dunkirk to Singapore and one significant victory where Alexander and Montegomery turned back Rommel's force at El Alemin, Church exhorted those in attendance, 

"This is not the end, it is not even the beginning of the end, but it perhaps the end of the beginning."

Churchill's speech

As one historian observed, in all of Great Britain's wars, they always managed to win their last battle, which of course is the most significant one to win.   With Britain's victory over Rommel, everything changed in terms of the nation's sense of their past failures, present courage and their capacity to believe in their future.

They did not allow the defeats of their past rob them of their courage in the present to obscure their vision for the future.   Churchill went on to say, 

"We mean to hold our own.  I have not become the King's First Minister in order to preside over the liquidation of the British Empire....Here we are, and here we stand, a veritable rock of salvation in this drifting world..."

As you reflect on this past year 2017, I image that you've had your shared of victories, challenges and perhaps some defeats.  I encourage you to not allow the failure of the past to deprive you of your faith in the present to dim your vision for God's victories in your future.

Let's seize this moment in time to give God all the Glory in 2018.   As Paul wrote:

Philippians 3:12-14 J.B. Phillips New Testament

"I keep going on, grasping ever more firmly that purpose for which Christ grasped me.  My brothers, I do not consider myself to have fully grasped it even now.   But I do concentrate on this; I leave the past behind and with hands outstretched to whatever lies ahead I go straight for the goal--my reward the honor of being called by God in Christ."

Patti and I are indeed blessed serving Christ in the diversity of countries in the warm Caribbean.   We are honored to served with a godly and dedicated team of compassionate and passionate missionaries who give their all for the God of their calling.   Let's make 2018 a year for God's glory!