After 40 years, the people were about to enter the land. G-d told the people He will throw out the nations before them a little bit by little bit i.e. the Israelites should not defeat them all at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon them.

This is a powerful lesson for us today. Many times we may have waited for an opportunity, and when the opportunity comes we seize it without any thought to the future. You always need to think four or five steps ahead of the process to try to avoid any unintended consequences. When you have a long-term goal, shortcuts might sabotage your ability to reach that goal.

Imagine what would have happened if the Israelites had not been warned to not destroy their enemies in one fell swoop. The consequence would have been that wild animals might have devoured them. That would certainly have negated the long wait to come into the land. That is why you need to have a big picture and think long-term about the consequences of what you’re doing right now.

In today’s world of rapid communication and the desire for instant gratification, we see many instances of this problem. One example is when you fire off an ill thought out e-mail in response to something you didn’t like and it is available to anyone whom your correspondent wishes to send it to, even though it may put you in a bad light and have disastrous consequences.

Long-term planning needs the curmudgeon who will point out the bad things that might happen as a result of what you’re doing, and those warnings are very valuable. Driving full steam ahead with blinders on may result in a tragic accident. So take the time to think through your long-term goals and strategies to make sure you won’t be devoured by unintended consequences.