Scripture Focus: Mark 1:35-39 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!" Jesus replied, "Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come." (Mark 1:35-39, NIV) Everyone is looking for you. Those must have been powerful words for Jesus to hear. His ministry was taking off. People were coming from all over to hear him teach and to be healed. The crowds were growing. The demand for his time was increasing. And now his disciples were telling him that everyone was looking for him. This would be any leader's dream, right? Most of us would see this as an opportunity we couldn't pass up. We'd cancel our plans, adjust our schedule, and give the people what they wanted. But that's not what Jesus did.  Instead of rushing back to meet the demands of the crowd, Jesus said something surprising: "Let us go somewhere else." So, Jesus said no. And he could do that because he had just spent time alone with his Father in prayer. Jesus knew what was truly important. He knew his mission. And he knew that staying busy meeting everyone's demands wasn't part of that mission. This is a lesson we need to learn, especially during the Christmas season. We need to learn how to say no. Because we can't do everything. We can't attend every party we're invited to. We can't bake every type of cookie. We can't buy the perfect gift for every person on our list. We can't decorate every corner of our house. We can't meet every expectation that's placed on us. And the sooner we accept that reality, the better off we'll be. But saying no is hard. Really hard. We worry about disappointing people. We worry about missing out. We worry about what others will think of us. We worry that if we say no to something, we're somehow failing. But what if saying no to some things is the only way we can say yes to what matters most? Jesus understood that every yes to one thing is a no to something else. When Jesus said yes to the crowds in that one town, he would have been saying no to the villages that needed to hear the gospel. So Jesus had to make a choice. And he chose based on what his Father had called him to do, not based on what was most popular or what would make the most people happy. We have to make the same kinds of choices. And the only way we can make them well is by doing what Jesus did...spending time with our Father, asking him what matters most, and having the courage to say no to everything else. This doesn't mean we become selfish or uncaring. It doesn't mean we ignore the needs around us. But it does mean we recognize that we have limits. We can't be everything to everyone. And trying to be will only leave us exhausted, overwhelmed, and unable to do anything well. So what does this look like practically? It means we stop saying yes to everything just because we're asked. It means we evaluate each opportunity and commitment based on what we're called to do, not just on what we're capable of doing. It means we protect time for what matters most – time with God, time with family, time to rest and recharge. And it means we give ourselves permission to disappoint some people. Because the truth is, we're going to disappoint someone no matter what we do. So we might as well disappoint them while staying faithful to what God has called us to do rather than exhausting ourselves trying to please everyone. Reflection Questions: What commitments or obligations are you carrying that you need to let go of? What makes it hard for you to say no? Fear of disappointing others? Fear of missing out? What would it look like to follow Jesus' example and prioritize time with God over meeting everyone's expectations? Prayer:  Jesus, teach us to say no. Give us the courage to set boundaries and protect what matters most. Help us to follow your example of spending time with the Father and letting that time guide our decisions. Free us from the need to please everyone and give us the wisdom to know what we should say yes to and what we should let go of. Help us to trust that you'll take care of the rest. Amen.

Scripture Focus: Exodus 20:3 "You shall have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:3, NIV) Let's be honest about something. Being busy makes us feel important. When someone asks how we're doing and we respond with "Busy!" there's often a hint of pride in our voice. Like our busyness proves that we matter, that we're needed, that our lives have purpose and meaning. And during the Christmas season, this gets even worse. We wear our busyness like a badge of honor. We compare calendars with friends and family, almost competing to see who has the most parties to attend, the most cookies to bake, the most gifts to buy. "Oh, you think you're busy? Let me tell you about my schedule..." But sometimes our busyness isn't about getting things done. Sometimes our busyness is about avoiding things we don't want to face. Sometimes we stay busy because if we slow down, we might have to deal with uncomfortable thoughts or difficult emotions. Sometimes we stay busy because we're afraid of what might happen if we actually stopped long enough to think about our lives. And, this may be hard to hear, but sometimes our busyness becomes a substitute for a real relationship with God. Think about that for a minute. How often have we skipped our time with God because we were "too busy"? How many times have we told ourselves we'd pray later, after we finished everything on our to-do list? How many days have we gone without reading the Bible because we just didn't have time? We'd never say we're choosing busyness over God. That sounds terrible. But that's exactly what we're doing when we consistently prioritize our tasks over spending time with Jesus. We're making busyness our god. The first commandment God gave to Israel was simple: "You shall have no other gods before me." And while most of us aren't tempted to worship golden calves or bow down to statues, we find other things to put in God's place. Things like success, or money, or relationships, or approval from others. Or busyness. Because when we're constantly choosing to do one more thing instead of spending time with God, we're communicating what we really worship. We're showing what we really believe is most important. And it's not God. Here's how you can tell if busyness has become an idol in your life. Ask yourself this question: If you suddenly had nothing on your calendar, no tasks to complete, no obligations to fulfill, how would you feel? Would you feel relieved? Or would you feel anxious? Would you enjoy the rest? Or would you immediately start looking for things to do? If the thought of not being busy makes you uncomfortable, that might be a sign that busyness has become more than just a necessary part of life. It might be a sign that it's become something you depend on, something you use to define yourself, something you worship. And the thing about idols is that they always demand more from us. They're never satisfied. The god of busyness will never tell you that you've done enough. It will always demand one more thing, one more task, one more commitment. It will consume every minute you give it and demand more. But God? God invites us to rest. God invites us to be still. God invites us to stop striving and know that he is God. God doesn't need us to be busy for him. He just wants us to be with him. So maybe this Christmas, instead of adding one more thing to our calendars, we need to tear down the idol of busyness and replace it with the peace that comes from spending time with Jesus. Reflection Questions: How do you feel when you're not busy? Peaceful or anxious? Have you been choosing busyness over spending time with God? What would it look like to make God your priority instead of your to-do list? Prayer:  Father, forgive us for making an idol out of busyness. Forgive us for believing that our worth comes from how much we accomplish instead of from you. Help us to tear down this idol and replace it with a genuine relationship with you. Teach us to rest in your presence. Show us that we don't have to earn your love by staying busy. Help us to be still and know that you are God. Amen.

Scripture Focus: Luke 2:1-7 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. (Luke 2:1-7, NIV) There was no room for them in the inn. We've heard this line so many times that we might miss how tragic it really is. A young woman, nine months pregnant, traveling for days on dusty roads, arrives in a crowded town with nowhere to stay. And when they finally find someone who might have space, the answer is no. We're full. We don't have room. But here's what we need to understand about that innkeeper. He wasn't a bad person. He wasn't cruel or heartless. He was just...busy. Really busy. Think about what was happening in Bethlehem that week. Because of the census, everyone who had family ties to this little town had to return home to register. And that meant the innkeeper – who probably hadn't had more than a few guests at a time in years – was suddenly overwhelmed with people needing a place to stay. So when Mary and Joseph knocked on his door, he was exhausted. He'd been checking people in all day. Carrying bags. Cooking meals. Dealing with complaints. He was running from task to task, trying to keep up with the demands of all his guests. And then here comes one more knock at the door. One more couple needing a room. One more thing to add to his already impossible list. So the innkeeper does what any of us would do when we're overwhelmed and exhausted. He gives them the quickest solution he can think of and gets back to work. "Sorry, we're full. But you could stay out back with the animals if you're desperate." And just like that, he misses the most important moment of his life. The Messiah – the one he'd heard about his whole life, the one every Jewish person had been waiting for – was born in his stable while he was too busy to even notice. Can you imagine how he must have felt when he found out? Maybe it was the next morning. Maybe it was weeks later. But at some point, he heard the whole story. And in that moment, he must have realized what his busyness had cost him. We do the same thing. Not with Jesus' birth, obviously. But with Jesus himself. We get so busy with all the things we think we have to do that we miss what's happening right in front of us. We miss the opportunities to experience Jesus because we're too focused on our to-do lists. And here's what makes this even more heartbreaking...the innkeeper could’ve made room. He had space. Not the best space, not the most comfortable space, but he had somewhere Jesus could be born. And if the innkeeper had known who was standing at his door, I'm convinced he would’ve made it work. He would’ve kicked someone else out of a room. He would’ve given up his own bed. He would’ve done whatever it took to make room for Jesus. But because he was too busy to really see who was standing in front of him, he missed his chance. The same thing happens to us at Christmas. We get so busy that we don't really see what's right in front of us. We don't see Jesus waiting for us to make room for him in our lives. And before we know it, Christmas has come and gone, and we missed what mattered most. So the question we need to ask ourselves is this: Are we making room for Jesus this Christmas? Or are we too busy? Reflection Questions: When have you been so busy that you missed something important? What would need to change in your schedule to make room for Jesus this week? If Jesus showed up at your door today, would you have room for him? Prayer:  Jesus, we don't want to be like that innkeeper. We don't want to be so busy that we miss you. Help us to make room in our lives for you this Christmas season. Show us what we need to let go of, what we need to say no to, so that we can say yes to you. Forgive us for the times we've been too busy to notice you. Give us eyes to see you and hearts willing to make space for you. Amen.

When Christmas doesn't feel magical enough, we think the solution is to do more. So we bake more cookies, attend more parties, buy more presents, and put up more decorations. We fill our schedules with so much Christmas activity that there's no room left for anything else.   But maybe part of the reason we feel let down at Christmas is that we keep filling our lives with everything except what matters the most.

Scripture Focus: Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38-42) As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:38-42, NIV) Have you ever noticed how the urgent always seems to crowd out the important? This morning, you probably woke up with a mental to-do list already forming before your feet hit the floor. There are emails to answer, errands to run, meals to prepare, people to call back. And now that we're in the thick of the Christmas season, that list has probably doubled. Gifts to buy. Cards to send. Cookies to bake. Parties to attend. We're busy. Really busy. Too busy. And here's the thing about busyness...it makes us feel productive. It makes us feel like we're accomplishing something important. But sometimes, maybe even most of the time, our busyness keeps us from what matters most. That's exactly what was happening to Martha when Jesus came to visit. She was doing all the right things. Someone had to prepare the meal. Someone had to make sure the house was ready for guests. Someone had to take care of all the details. So Martha threw herself into the work, moving from task to task, checking items off her mental list. Meanwhile, her sister Mary just sat there. At Jesus' feet. Listening to him teach. And this drove Martha crazy. Couldn't Mary see how much work needed to be done? Couldn't she see that Martha needed help? How could she just sit there while Martha did all the work? But when Martha finally complained to Jesus about her sister's lack of help, Jesus said something Martha wasn't expecting. He didn't praise her for all her hard work. He didn't tell Mary to get up and help. Instead, he said, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better." The better thing. The one thing that was needed. And what was that? Spending time with Jesus. Martha had convinced herself that all her busyness was necessary. That the meal wouldn't get cooked, the house wouldn't get cleaned, and everything would fall apart if she stopped working. But Jesus knew the truth...the work Martha was doing wasn't nearly as important as spending time with him. And we do the same thing Martha did. We convince ourselves that all the things we have to do are necessary. That Christmas won't happen if we don't get everything done. That our families will be disappointed if we don't meet their expectations. That we can't possibly slow down because there's just too much to do. But what if Jesus is sitting in our living room right now, waiting for us to stop what we're doing and spend time with him? What if all our busyness is keeping us from the one thing that matters most? This Christmas season, we have a choice. We can be like Martha, running around stressed and overwhelmed by all the things we think we have to do. Or we can be like Mary, choosing to sit at Jesus' feet and make time for what really matters. The work will always be there. The to-do list will never be completely finished. But this moment, this opportunity to be present with Jesus, won't last forever. So maybe it's time to stop worrying about all the things that need to be done and choose what is better instead. Reflection Questions: What tasks are consuming most of your time and energy right now? If Jesus walked into your house today, would you stop what you're doing to spend time with him? Or would you keep working? What is one thing you could give up this week to make more room for Jesus? Prayer:  Jesus, forgive us for being so busy that we miss spending time with you. Help us to recognize when we're letting the urgent crowd out the important. Give us the courage to stop what we're doing and choose what is better – time with you. Show us what we need to let go of this week so we can make room for you in our lives. Amen.

The Lord lives! Blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation, the God who gave me vengeance and subdued peoples under me, who delivered me from my enemies; indeed, you exalted me above my adversaries; you delivered me from the violent. For this I will extol you, O Lord, among the nations and sing praises to your name. Psalm 18:46-49 (CEB) We've spent this week talking about what happened when David finally became king after years of running from Saul. And we've seen that David's response was intentional thanksgiving. He didn't just move on to the next thing. He stopped, reflected on what God had done, and expressed gratitude. But here's the question: Was this just a one-time thing? Or did David make gratitude a lifestyle? Look at how David ends Psalm 18: "For this I will extol you, O Lord, among the nations and sing praises to your name." That word "extol" means to praise enthusiastically. To celebrate publicly. To tell others about what God has done. And David says he's going to do this "among the nations.”  In other words, he's going to make sure everyone knows about God's faithfulness. He's not just having a quiet moment of thanksgiving with God and then moving on. He's committing to tell this story to make sure others know what God has done. That's what gratitude as a lifestyle looks like. It's not just feeling thankful. It's expressing thanks. It's telling others. It's making gratitude a regular practice, not a one-time event. So let's recap what we've learned from David about being thankful when blessed: We learned that there's often a long wait between crying out to God and getting an answer. And that it's okay to cry out desperately during that wait. We learned that we have a tendency to move on too quickly when God answers our prayers. We rush to the next worry instead of stopping to thank God. We learned that we need to be intentional about thanksgiving. And we need to be just as intentional as being thankful as we are about crying out when we need help. We learned to create detailed memory markers of God's rescue so we don't forget his faithfulness. And now we're learning that gratitude should become a lifestyle, not just a one-time response. But how do we make gratitude a lifestyle? Here are some practical ways to build this practice: Create a gratitude journal where you regularly write down what God has done for you. When you're tempted to move on quickly from answered prayers, force yourself to stop and write down what happened. Tell your stories. When God answers a prayer, tell someone about it. Share it with your family, your small group, your friends. Say out loud, "God answered my prayer. Let me tell you what happened." Look for opportunities to thank God in worship. When you're singing or praying corporately, think about specific ways God has blessed you and let your worship be filled with genuine gratitude. Return to your memory markers. When you're facing a new crisis, go back and reread the stories of how God rescued you before. Let those memories build your confidence that God is faithful. So as we end this week, I want to invite you to make a commitment. Commit to being someone who thanks God as intentionally as you cry out to God. Commit to creating memory markers of God's faithfulness. Commit to telling your stories of rescue. Commit to making gratitude a lifestyle, not just an occasional response. Because when we do this, something remarkable happens. Our gratitude deepens our relationship with God. Our thanksgiving builds our faith. Our memory markers become resources we can draw on when times get hard again. And we discover that living with gratitude isn't just something we do for God, it's something that changes us from the inside out. Prayer for the Week Ahead God, thank you for this week's reminder to be intentional about gratitude. Thank you for showing me through David's example that I need to be just as intentional about thanking you when things go well as I am about crying out when things go wrong. I commit to making gratitude a lifestyle. I commit to stopping and thanking you when you answer my prayers instead of just moving on to the next worry. I commit to creating memory markers so I don't forget your faithfulness. I commit to telling my stories of rescue so others can see that you're faithful. Help me to remember that gratitude is something I owe you every time you come through for me. Give me eyes to see the ways you're blessing me right now. Give me words to express my thanks. And give me courage to tell my stories so others can see your faithfulness too. Thank you for hearing my cries. Thank you for delivering me. Thank you for being faithful even when I'm not. I love you, Lord. You are my strength. Amen.

He reached down from on high; he took me; he drew me out of mighty waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a broad place; he delivered me because he delighted in me. Psalm 18:16-19 (CEB) Many of us keep little mementos from important moments in our lives. Concert tickets. Photos. Cards from people we love. And why do we keep these things? Because we know that memories fade. What feels vivid and unforgettable today can become fuzzy and distant tomorrow. So we keep reminders.  And that's kind of what David does in Psalm 18. In these verses, David describes what God did for him. And notice how specific he is. David is recounting exactly what God did. "He reached down from on high; he took me; he drew me out of mighty waters." David remembers feeling like he was drowning. But God reached down and pulled him out. "He delivered me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me." David acknowledges that his enemies were too mighty for him. He couldn't defeat them on his own. He needed God to deliver him. And God did. "He brought me out into a broad place; he delivered me because he delighted in me." God didn't just barely rescue David. God brought him to a broad place – a place of freedom, safety, and possibility. And God didn’t do it because David earned it or deserved it, God did it because God loved him. So when David recounts what God did for him, he's not being unnecessarily wordy. He's being intentionally specific. Because details matter when it comes to remembering God's faithfulness. If we just say, "God helped me," that's nice. But it's vague. It's easy to forget. It doesn't stick with us. But when we say, "I was facing a financial crisis that felt like drowning. I couldn't see a way out. But God provided an unexpected check that covered exactly what I needed. He pulled me out of those mighty waters," that creates a memory we can return to when we need to remember God's faithfulness. So here's what I want you to do today: Write down your story. Not just that "God helped me," but the details of how God showed up for you. What were you facing? What did it feel like? How desperate were you? How did God show up? Because the next time you face a crisis, and you will face another crisis, you'll need to remember that God is faithful. And if you haven't taken time to create these memory markers, you won't have them. But when you intentionally remember and recount what God has done, you're building a foundation of faith. You're creating a resource you can draw on when times get hard again. That's what David was doing. He was creating a memory marker so he'd never forget how God delivered him. And we need to do the same thing. Prayer God, help me to remember. Not just vaguely, but specifically. Help me to recount exactly how you rescued me. [Take time now to describe your rescue story to God in detail.] I don't want to forget this. I don't want this memory to fade. I want to remember how you reached down and pulled me out of mighty waters. I want to remember that when my enemies were too mighty for me, you delivered me. I want to remember that you brought me to a broad place because you delight in me. Thank you for rescuing me. Help me never to forget it. Amen.

I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, so I shall be saved from my enemies. Psalm 18:1-3 (CEB) After more than a decade of running from Saul, and hiding in caves, and crying out to God for deliverance, God's promise to David came true...David finally became king. Saul died in battle. David was crowned. The nightmare was over. The promise was fulfilled. David had made it. So what did David do next? David didn't immediately start dealing with the next crisis. He didn't jump right into the challenges of ruling Israel. Instead, David stopped. And he thanked God. That's what Psalm 18 is. The superscription tells us this is "a Psalm of David the servant of the Lord, who addressed the words of this song to the Lord on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul." In other words, when David realized God had heard his cries and answered his prayers, he wrote a song about it. He took time to acknowledge what God had done. He intentionally expressed his gratitude. And that's what we see in the opening verses of this psalm: Pure, unfiltered thanksgiving. Look how this Psalm starts: "I love you, Lord, my strength." Not "Thank you for making me king." Not "I'm glad that's finally over." Not "Well, that took longer than I expected." Just "I love you." David's gratitude wasn't primarily about what he received. It was about who God is. It was about the relationship David had with God. It was about recognizing God's faithful love throughout the entire ordeal. And then David just piles up descriptions of who God is: "My rock, my fortress, my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." David is processing what God has been to him throughout this entire journey. God was his rock when everything felt unstable. God was his fortress when he needed protection. God was his deliverer when he needed rescue. God was his refuge when he needed safety. And through it all, David's thanksgiving is intentional. He doesn't just have a passing thought of "thanks, God" and move on. He crafts a psalm. He takes time to reflect on who God is and what God has done. He deliberately expresses his gratitude. And that's what we need to learn to do. We need to be just as intentional about thanking God when things go well as we are about crying out to God when things go wrong. When we're in crisis, we don't have trouble being intentional about prayer. We cry out desperately. We pray constantly. We plead with God. We're very intentional about making our needs known. But when God answers? We need to be equally intentional about expressing gratitude. And that doesn’t have to be complicated. You don't have to write a psalm like David did. But it does require stopping and being deliberate about expressing gratitude. Maybe it's taking time to journal about what God has done. Maybe it's telling someone else about how God answered your prayer. Maybe it's simply sitting quietly and thanking God, really processing his faithfulness to you. The key is that it's intentional. It's not just a quick "thanks, God" as you rush to the next thing. It's a deliberate pause to acknowledge, appreciate, and thank God for his faithfulness. So think about the prayer God answered that you identified yesterday. The time when you cried out desperately and God came through for you. Now, following David's example, take time today to intentionally thank God. Not just a quick prayer, but really stop and think about who God was to you during that time. What did God provide? How did God show up? What does this tell you about God's character? And then express your gratitude. Tell God you love him. Thank him for his faithfulness. Acknowledge what he's done for you. Because that's what gratitude looks like when we're blessed. Not just a passing thought, but intentional thanksgiving. Prayer I love you, Lord. Thank you for being my strength when I felt weak. Thank you for being my rock when everything felt unstable. Thank you for being my deliverer when I couldn't save myself. Thank you for hearing my desperate cries and answering them. I'm taking time right now to acknowledge what you've done for me—specifically [name the answered prayer]. I don't want to just move on. I want to stop and thank you properly. You are worthy to be praised. You are faithful. And I'm grateful. Amen.

One of them, when he saw that he had been healed, returned and praised God with a loud voice. He fell on his face at Jesus' feet and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus replied, "Weren't ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? No one returned to praise God except this foreigner?" Luke 17:15-18 (CEB) When we're in trouble, we pray desperately. We cry out to God. We beg for help. We promise we'll be so grateful if God just comes through for us. And when God does come through and answers our prayer, what do we do? We move on.  We don't stop to thank God. We don't pause to acknowledge what he's done. We just immediately start worrying about the next problem. And we’re not the only ones who do this. In Luke 17, Jesus healed ten men who had leprosy. But only one came back to thank him. Only one. The other nine just moved on with their lives, probably thinking, "Great, I'm healed. Now what's next?" Why do we do this? I think we move on too quickly for a few reasons. First, we're so relieved the crisis is over that we just want to forget about it. We don't want to dwell on hard times. We want to move forward. Second, we're already focused on the next problem. Life doesn't stop just because one issue gets resolved. There's always something else demanding our attention. And third, we kind of forget that God was the one who came through for us. We tell ourselves we made it through on our own strength, or it was just luck, or things just worked out. We don't connect our answered prayers with God's faithfulness. But when we move on too quickly, we miss the opportunity to recognize and celebrate what God has done. We miss the chance to let our gratitude deepen our relationship with God. We miss the moment where we acknowledge that God heard us and answered us. And honestly? We miss out on joy. There's something about pausing to thank God and acknowledging that we made it through because he was with us. But when we don't stop to thank God, we start to forget about his faithfulness. We start to think we handled everything ourselves. And then, the next time we face a crisis, we don't have a foundation of remembered faithfulness to stand on. But when we intentionally pause to thank God, we're building that foundation of God's faithfulness in our lives. We're creating memories that we can return to when times get hard again. That's what David did. And that's what we need to learn to do. So here's my question: What's the crisis that you prayed desperately about, where God came through for you, but you just moved on without really thanking him? Maybe it was a health scare that turned out okay. Maybe it was a financial crisis that you made it through. Maybe it was a relationship that was restored. Maybe it was a job that came through at just the right time. Whatever it was, take a moment right now and acknowledge it. Recognize that God heard your desperate prayers. And admit that you moved on too quickly without really thanking him. Because tomorrow we're going to look at what David did differently. And it's going to challenge us to develop a better pattern, a pattern of being just as intentional about thanking God when things go well as we are about crying out when things go wrong. Prayer God, I'm guilty of this. I cry out to you desperately when I need help, but when you come through for me, I just move on. I don't stop to thank you. I don't pause to acknowledge your faithfulness. I just immediately start worrying about the next thing. Forgive me for that. Help me to see how many times you've answered my prayers and provided what I needed. And help me to develop a new pattern of gratitude that matches the intensity of my prayers. Amen.

We cry out desperately when we need God's help, but when God answers our prayers, we immediately move on to the next problem.   David spent over a decade hiding in caves, running for his life, begging God for rescue. When God finally delivered him, David didn't just sigh with relief and worry about what's next. What did David do that most of us forget to do?

I cry out loud for help from the Lord. I beg out loud for mercy from the Lord. I pour out my concerns before God; I announce my distress to him. When my spirit is weak inside me, you still know my way. But they've hidden a trap for me in the path I'm taking. Look right beside me: See? No one pays attention to me. There's no escape for me. No one cares about my life. Psalm 142:1-4 (CEB) Waiting rooms are the worst, aren't they? Whether it's at the doctor's office, the DMV, or the auto repair shop, there's something about not knowing how long it will take, or how things will turn out, that makes time feel like it's moving backward. But at least those waits are measured in hours, maybe days. David's wait was measured in years. When the prophet Samuel anointed David to be Israel's next king, David was about fifteen years old. And when that anointing oil was poured on his head, David probably thought it wouldn't be long before he was sitting on Israel's throne. But it took fifteen years before that promise was fulfilled.  That’s fifteen years of waiting. And for more than a decade of that wait, David was running for his life. Think about that for a second. David had been chosen by God. He'd been anointed by God's prophet. He knew what God had promised him. But instead of living in a palace, he was hiding in caves. Instead of being honored as king, he was hunted like a criminal. Instead of ruling Israel, he was just trying to survive. That's where Psalm 142 comes from. The superscription tells us it's "a prayer of David when he was in a cave." And you can hear the desperation in these words. He says things like, "I cry out loud for help from the Lord." "My spirit is weak inside me." "No one pays attention to me." "No one cares about my life." This isn't the confident David who faced Goliath. This is the exhausted David who's been running for years. And this is the David who's wondering if God's promise will ever come true. And honestly? We've all been there. Maybe not hiding in literal caves, but definitely in seasons where we're crying out to God, "How long do I have to wait?" It would be easy to skip over this part of David's story. To jump from the anointing straight to the crown. To tell a story about God's promises coming true quickly and easily. But that's not David's story. And it's probably not your story either. The reality is that there's often a long wait between God's promise and its fulfillment. And during that wait, we can feel like no one's paying attention. But here's what David learned during those years in the cave: God heard him. Even when it felt like no one was paying attention, God was listening. Even when it seemed like no one cared, God cared. Even when the answer was delayed, God was working. Maybe you're in a cave season right now. Maybe you've been praying about something for months or years. Maybe you've been asking God for help, and it feels like the answer is never coming. Maybe you're exhausted from waiting. If that's where you are, I want you to know something: It's okay to cry out. It's okay to pour out your concerns. It's okay to tell God you're weak and desperate. That's not a lack of faith. That's honest prayer. David didn't pretend everything was fine while he was hiding in caves. He cried out to God with desperation and honesty. And God heard him…it just took longer than David wanted. So keep crying out. Keep praying. Keep asking. Because this week, we're going to see what David did when God finally answered. And it's going to challenge us to think about how we respond when God comes through for us. Prayer God, I feel like David in the cave. I've been waiting so long. I've been crying out to you, and sometimes it feels like you're not listening. I'm tired. I'm desperate. I'm wondering when, or even if, you're going to answer. Help me to keep praying even when the wait is long. Help me to trust that you hear me even when I can't see the answer. And help me to remember that delay doesn't mean denial. You're working even when I can't see it. Give me strength to keep waiting, keep trusting, keep crying out. Amen.

You set a table for me right in front of my enemies. You bathe my head in oil; my cup is so full it spills over! Yes, goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the Lord's house as long as I live. Psalm 23:5-6 (CEB) We have this idea that gratitude comes after victory. Once the danger passes, once the giant is defeated, once we're safe on the other side that’s when we can be thankful. But what if gratitude isn't supposed to wait until everything's okay? What if we can be thankful right now, in the middle of danger, before we know how things will turn out? That’s the picture we get in Psalm 23 when the psalmist talks about God setting a table "right in front of my enemies." Not after the enemies are gone. Not once the battle is over. But right there, in the middle of danger, God provides. That's the kind of God we serve. A God who doesn't wait until our circumstances are perfect before blessing us. A God who provides for us even when we're surrounded by threats. A God who gives us reason to be thankful even before the victory is won. And that means we don't have to wait until our giant is defeated to be thankful. We can be thankful right now, in the middle of the battle, because God is with us. Let's look back at what David's story has taught us about facing danger with gratitude: We learned that we need to name our giants and be honest about what we're facing rather than pretending everything's fine. We can't face what we won't acknowledge. We learned to remember past deliverances and recall the lions and bears God has already rescued us from. Those memories build confidence that God will show up again. We learned that we don't walk through dark valleys alone because God is with us, protecting us and guiding us through the darkness. We learned that courage doesn't come from our own strength. Courage comes from trusting God's presence even when we're terrified. And now we're learning that we can be thankful before victory because gratitude doesn't have to wait until everything's okay. So what are we thankful for when we're still facing our giant? When the danger hasn't passed? When the valley is still dark? We're thankful that no matter what giants we're facing, God is always with us. We're thankful that our giant isn't too big for God. We're thankful that God's presence goes with us into the valley. We're thankful that God provides for us even in the presence of our enemies. We're thankful that goodness and faithful love pursue us, even on the hardest days. Because this Psalm promises us that "Goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life." Not just on the good days. Not just when everything's going well. Not just after the danger passes. All the days of my life. Even the days when I'm facing giants. Even the days when I'm walking through dark valleys. Even the days when I'm surrounded by enemies. And that's why we can be thankful even before victory. Because our reasons for gratitude aren't dependent on our circumstances. They're dependent on who God is. And God is always faithful. So here's what I want you to do: Think about the giant you named at the beginning of this week. The danger you're facing. The dark valley you're walking through. You might not know how this is going to turn out. You might not see the way forward. You might still be terrified. But right now, in the middle of it, I want you to thank God. Thank God for being with you. Thank God for the past deliverances that prove his faithfulness. Thank God for walking through the valley with you. Thank God for providing courage that doesn't depend on your own strength. Thank God that your giant isn't too big for him. You don't have to wait until you're safe to be grateful. You can be thankful right now, because God is with you right now. Prayer for the Week Ahead God, thank you for this week's reminder that we don't have to wait until danger passes to be grateful. Thank you that we can be thankful right now, in the middle of our battles, before we know how things will turn out. Thank you that no matter what giants we're facing, you are with us. Thank you that our giants aren't too big for you. Thank you for walking with us through dark valleys. Thank you for providing courage that doesn't depend on our own strength. This week, when I'm facing my giant, help me to remember that you're with me. When I'm terrified, help me to trust your presence. When I feel inadequate, help me to rely on your strength. And help me to be thankful—not for the giant, but for you. Because you are faithful. You are with us. And that's something to be grateful for, even in the face of danger. Amen.