Thankful Theology Thursday #1

In our home school curriculum (called World of Adventure) we have started out studying Ancient Egypt. It is in the story of Joseph in the book of Genesis where we begin our journey. It is fitting that God would bring me to these scriptures this week in my life. There is nothing particularly horrible happening now, but just lots of little things that are competing for my attention and most of which I can do nothing about except pray and have faith that God is in control. Overall, things are amazingly good and I have so much to be thankful for. In fact, since I started writing this last night, one of those little things has just resolved itself, or better said been handled by the Master.
God really is amazing and it is so easy for us to forget. Just remember the Hebrews who wondered in the desert for 40 years because it was so easy to forget all God had already done for them. It is easy for us to judge them now, but how often do we do the same thing? How often are we guilty of not trusting God, whether with finances or circumstances. That leads to another question, how often do we limit God to the really big stuff in our lives and attempt to manage the little stuff all on our own?
Oh, I sure am guilty of that. Then of course, like where I am now all the little stuff piles up together and I am overwhelmed by it all, crying out to God the simplest and most oft' heard plea, "HELP!".
Two weeks ago there was a 2 year old in my house for about 6 hours a day. I help his family out by watching him when his regular care isn't available. A very common statement that was uttered was, " I do it." From a child development perspective this is good, healthy, and normal. From a theological viewpoint it's trouble waiting to happen. Perhaps, if I changed that statement to a request that sounded something like this, "God please help me do it", more often I might do a little less wondering in this desert of life. Of course, just asking doesn't change anything either. The real power comes from waiting for the response. In today's world it's harder than ever to train ourselves to do that. We can pretty much get anything we want quite literally, immediately.
Joseph was sold into slavery at the age of seventeen. He was appointed vizier of Egypt when he was thirty. Thirteen years of "God, please help me do it", and thirteen years of waiting and faith for the answer to come. Sometimes the answers come quickly like my situation that was resolved and sometimes like in Joseph's case it doesn't.
Warren Wiersbe wants us to remember this though, "God's delays do not necessarily mean God's denial."