488 little by little

In this Bible study podcast, the host discusses the importance of the seven nations of Canaan in God's plan and the faith of Abraham and Sarah. The Canaanites were practicing evil and worshiping false gods, so God judged them. The Israelites had to trust in God and fight little by little to conquer the promised land. Similarly, believers today face battles against demonic powers, but by trusting in God and walking in his word, they can overcome any obstacle. The host ends with a prayer for strength in the ongoing battle. The podcast also includes an advertisement for Buzzsprout, a podcast hosting platform. Welcome, dear listeners, to a sacred journey through the pages of God's Word. I'm your guide in this adventure, Steve Kitts, and I'm truly grateful that you've joined me in another session of During Bible Study podcast. Before we look closer into these verses that will illuminate your heart and your mind today, let us pause for a moment in prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, as we open your precious Word, we look for your guidance and wisdom. May the Holy Spirit be our teacher. Illuminate the truth within each of these sacred pages. Bless all those that tune in today that they may find solace, inspiration, and spiritual growth through what is shared and explored in your Word. In Jesus' holy name, we pray, and amen. Here we're talking about the seven nations of Canaan. In this little episode, we're gonna talk about take the land little by little. In Deuteronomy chapter seven, verse one, it says, when the Lord your God brings you to a land where you are entered to possess it and clears away many nations before you, the Hittites and the Gerashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Pezirites and the Hivites and the Jezusites, seven nations greater and stronger than you. See, the judgment of the nation of Canaan was a milestone for the fulfillment of God's covenant to Abraham and Sarah. It is the central to establish the nation of Israel, the chosen people of God. And the promise of the nation of descendants to the childless and the old man and woman, Abraham and Sarah, they're way up in age, it reflects the faith of their faith in God, who asked for them to trust Him. So they had to extend their faith and really believe before they even had proof that this was gonna happen. Through the obstacles, they're no bigger than the ones that we face and remain permanently beyond what we can even grasp ourself. God offers His word as the only proof and by trusting it, miraculously, we can use it to follow and we can see change. Abraham believed God and righteousness was given to him free as a gift. And we see that in Genesis 15 and six. He didn't have the Holy Spirit like we do that helps us and gives us the strength to go on and to do greater things. Abraham had to use his faith and belief that God was with him this whole time. In Abraham's time, God spoke to the Amorites, one of the seven nations, who were even in, at that time, pursuing of evil and gave them 400 more years before His judgment would come on to them. In Genesis 15 and 16, it reads, then in the fourth generation, they will return here for the iniquity of the Amorites were not yet complete. But over that time, their wickedness increased from generation to generation. Can you imagine the presence and the power of Satan embedded into that and contagiously spreading through the doorways of the nations of Canaan? It was running rapid, just like it is in the world today. We have boldly in our faith. That's what it was with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. They were seeing, with Abraham and Sarah, I meant, they could see the evil and know the evil was there. And the place that God had promised them that they would have. Can you imagine the darkness so expanse through that culture that the people who carried out God's plans of redemption were at risk of being overwhelmed and destroyed? You ever feel that way today? I do. See, these Canaanite nations were offering up their own babies as burnt sacrifices and burnt offerings to their demonic false gods as they worshiped. After the 400 years, the evil was complete and the dominance of the darkness were deep-rooted and widespread and in control. They ruled that area. But God's judgment was also full and complete. In Leviticus 18 and 25, the Lord said to them, even the land itself became polluted and I punished it for their iniquities. And the land vomited up its inhabitants. See, God rose up in defense of his plan to redeem mankind and to rid the earth of Satan's efforts to prevent it. He took his land, which he created, back to himself. He gave it to his redeemed people. But for his plan to work, the Israelites would have to be in co-labor with him. They would have to do things in belief by faith. And they would have to fight for it, inch by bloody inch. They would have to go out into this evil, into this wickedness, and conquer the promised land, which is a type of a simple template of all the promises of God for the believers in Christ. Their promised land was physical and our promised land is spiritual. Their battle was against the seven demons possessing the nations, which needed to be conquered little by little. Deuteronomy 7 and 22 says, the Lord, your God will clear away these nations before you, little by little. You will not be able to put an end to them quickly for the wild beasts will grow too numerous for you. I will drive them out before you little by little until you become fruitful and take possession of the land. Our battle is against demonic powers that stand in our way of the promises of being fulfilled that God has given us. Our promised land is our natural. Our promised land is our own nature. Which of it is still occupied territory, unsatisfied by the transformation power of God's Holy Spirit. Our promised land are the sheep of God yet to be brought into the fold. Those lost souls that are out there is our promised land. Our promised land is ultimately going to be heaven when it comes down. We're striving towards that. We placed one foot in front of the other, trusting God and his mercies and his strength to persevere. And we suit up in his armor and show up. And we will, like Joshua and Caleb did among those that inherited this promise. And one by one, step by step, battle by battle, inch by inch, little by little, we will win this battle. There's no deeper joy than inheriting the land that God has promised you by faith. God is able and willing to help us overcome these problems that are greater and stronger than we are. We just trust him and walk in his word. Little by little, together with God, we will overcome any obstacle, any trouble, any trial, any issue. If we put it in God's hands, we'll close in a prayer. Lord, Heavenly Father, we thank you, Lord, that you give us this example, that we're gonna face the evils. We're gonna face trouble. We're gonna face Satan's, in our face, troubles and trials. That he's gonna try to put us down and try to steer us away from our ultimate goal, which is heaven. And our ability to bring others into that fold, to show them the goodness and kindness that God is, that Jesus is the only way to heaven, that he is our Redeemer, he is our strength, and he is our wonderful Savior that gave his life for us on that cross and rose it back up three days later to show us that he has the power over death, hell, and the grave, and that we put all of our faith and our love in him and that all will work out. Help us and strengthen us in this battle as we fight and go on. In your blessed holy name, amen. I wanna take a minute to talk to you about Buzzsprout. Today is a great day to start your own podcast. 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