Deuteronomy 7:22  “The Lord your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little. You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals will multiply around you.”

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Have you ever received a gift too big, a gift too great for you to handle? 

Recently, an article popped up on the Apple News app that caught my eye. A man won a $10 million dollar lottery. For the second time. Here’s a quote you don’t see every day: Hernandez said in the release he is “still trying to spend the $10,000,000,” he won three years ago. Here’s a link to the full article.

[https://news.yahoo.com/york-man-wins-10m-lottery-205059730.html]

Mr. Hernandez is not the only person to experience this sort of outcome. You can read about another guy here:

[https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/national-international/man-named-gambles-wins-lottery-for-second-time-using-same-numbers/143623/]

The point is not about playing and winning the lottery. I have won the lottery every day it has been legal. How? I don’t play. Sure, I may be missing out on millions of dollars. More surely, I keep, save, invest, and spend what I have without greed wrapping its tentacles around my heart. So there.

There is another point here if we squint our eyes just so. Why does a guy who won a $10 million dollar lottery keep playing the lottery? He may say in the article above. I haven’t read that far. 

So let’s talk about you. Would an amount of money that large be a gift too big for you? If you received that much money, which is only around $5 million after taxes, what would you do with it?

Some people have an immediate spending plan. They would expend their gain on toys galore.

Some people have a spending plan to build their business.

Some people, like one of my coworkers who shall remain nameless but whose name rhymes with Larry, would place it in a savings account and pretend it was not there. (I will find out later today if he reads this devotional. Believe it or not, he is a CPA with a sense of humor. Who knew this was possible?)

Some people would apparently keep playing the lottery. Notice in the second article about the man from Chicago how his name is Gambles. Now that’s just funny.

Have you ever wondered why God doesn’t make all your dreams come true all at once, especially those dreams he has for you which are better than the ones you have for yourself? Here is a truth worth pondering: Some of God’s blessings are too big to receive all at once on this side of heaven.

Notice the principle in Deuteronomy 7:22. Too much too soon creates unnecessary problems. This is why teenage motorists drive with restrictions when they first receive their licenses. This is why we do not allow the sale of alcohol to minors. This is why I cannot take flight lessons on a well-crafted video game and jump into a pilot’s seat for a solo flight on Day One.

Analogies multiply like lottery wins, or losses. 

Have you ever stopped to consider God is making his dreams for you come true “little by little”? If so, you understand how challenging it is to know precisely what step you are on now. The most important thing to know and to do is to take your best next steps as much as you can clearly see them. On those times when you find yourself off the path, get back on it. 

Maybe we should require The Pilgrim’s Progress in school again. Maybe we should require it for adults. 

We have a gift in our hands called Today. As I wrote last Sunday, I have awakened to a winter wonderland. In a couple of hours, heavy snow is forecast to fall and to fall well into the night. I can’t wait. 

What is the gift of God Today has for you?

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I will unwrap the gift God has for me today and give him thanks for his abundant goodness in not giving me more blessing than I can yet handle. 

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Our Father, your limits and increments are perfect to empower progress without hindering us with more than we can handle. Empower us to accept the gift of Today and to live it in a manner honoring to you and blessing to others. Amen.