Quote

"Little by little, one travels far"

- J.R.R. Tolkien 

Real Life

During the 2024/25 football season, kiwi striker Chris Wood sits in 4^th place in the English Premier League for most goals scored, just behind world class strikers Mohamed Salah, Erling Harland and Isak Alexander.

The 33 year old Nottingham Forest Centre-Forward is in such good form, that he scored a hat-trick (3 goals) against Brighton and became Nottingham Forest's top leading goal scorer in the Premier League. But Wood hasn’t just arrived on the scene. In fact, the 2024/25 season marks a 16 year involvement in top flight football in England.

His early days playing professionally however, were not always making headlines. In 2010 he was terminated by Barnsley for not performing to expectations. Yet Wood’s ability to keep persevering, honing his skills as a striker and keeping himself relatively injury free, have led to a long and successful career which doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. To date Wood has scored 87 goals in the premier league and 44 for the All Whites.

Missionary William Carey, who translated the bible into 44 different languages, was once asked what the secret of his success was in accomplishing so much in his lifetime. He replied, “I can plod and persevere. That is my only genius.” Perhaps Chris Wood’s success has been his ability to stay consistent over a long time.

The principal of ‘little by little’, is found in Isaiah 28:10, referencing the patient process needed for our growth, “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little.” Too often in life we want the immediate results of our labour, but God is more interested in the process and how we navigate the journey of our lives.

Maybe today you find yourself in the middle of a challenging journey or process. Or perhaps your hopes and dreams seem such a long way off. The Psalmist reminds us that the blessed man is the one whose heart is set on pilgrimage (Psalm 84:5), whose attention is given to not just the destination, but the journey. Remember, good things take time, stay on course and stay faithful.

Bible Verse

For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.

Hebrews 10:36

Prayer

God help me each day to do the right thing, to make small steps toward Your will and purposes. Help me to see and learn the lessons along the way and understand that you are just as interested in how I navigate the journey, not just getting to the destination.

Author: Wes Smith  |   Content Editor: Phil Pawley