It’s difficult to know what is a blessing and what is not. It’s easy to think of a blessing as a new car, a weekend at the beach, or making a new friend. And all of these things are great. But what if our car was totaled? What if instead of going on vacation, we got called back in to work? What if a close friend has to move across the country? Are those blessings?

In Exodus 23 the Israelites have left Egypt and they are on their way to the promised land of Canaan. The Lord tells them they are to take the land that He will make way for them:

When my angel goes before you and brings you to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, and I blot them out …

Exodus 23:23

The Lord will remove the people with hornets:

And I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites from before you.

Exodus 23:28

Naturally we might think this is done completely and immediately. It’s to be the land of the Israelites, so why would the Canannites be there any longer than they needed to be?

The the Lord says something fascinating:

Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased and possess the land.

Exodus 23:30

Little by little? Why?

I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the wild beasts multiply against you.

Exodus 23:30

Some “problems” stick around because they are better than something worse. The Lord even provides for us in how He handles our problems!