Sometimes we think that not going the extra mile isn’t a big deal. That partial obedience still counts for something. But the book of Judges shows us... it actually matters more than we realize.

The Israelites had already fought many battles and won. God had been faithful to deliver them, time and time again. But when it came to fully driving out the people He commanded them to remove, they stopped short. They didn’t finish the job. And because of it... they remained close to the very evil God wanted to protect them from.

They ended up tangled in compromise.
Worshipping idols.
Living among influences they were meant to remove.

What’s wild is that they were already in the Promised Land. It was theirs. But just because God gave it to them didn’t mean they wouldn’t still have to work for it... war for it... trust Him as they took it piece by piece.

God never said the Promised Land would come easily. He said it would come little by little — through obedience, endurance, and trust.

But the Israelites basically said, “If we can’t win easily... we don’t want it at all.”