DON'T

RELY ON

THE MALLET

Remember that arcade game Whack-A-Mole?

After 20 years in ministry, I've learned some seasons are going to feel exactly like that. A handful of people get upset, and all of a sudden, you're scrambling to address different issues popping up one right after the next.

The past couple of weeks have been a classic "mole season."

Just like the game, it's easy to hit a ceiling and feel completely overwhelmed by all the chaos.

But here's what I've learned after two decades: God's been faithful every single time, and things always go better when I don't rely on the mallet.

Not once has frantically swinging at every problem been helpful. But it's incredibly helpful to take a step back and ask God to help me remember what's true—and thank Him for it.

Maybe you're overwhelmed right now. Maybe your prayers feel like they're hitting a ceiling, you've stopped connecting with the Bible, or God feels a million miles away right now.

Even King David (the man after God's own heart) felt this sometimes:

"As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God" (Psalm 42:1-2a)

But here's what David discovered (and what I've learned from spiritual Whack-A-Mole): Sometimes we need to ask God to shift our focus to see what He's doing through it all. And often that comes from remembering what He's already done.

The Bible mentions gratitude over 150 times. Almost half of those verses specifically say "give thanks."

That's not coincidence.

Gratitude is how we train our hearts to see God's presence, especially when life is hard.

David didn't ignore his pain. He named it, wrestled with it, then reminded his soul who God is—the living God.

That's biblical gratitude – it doesn't erase the questions, but it does anchor your soul while you're asking them.

➡️ Click here to watch my newest YouTube video about navigating the difficult seasons with gratitude. Watching it will also encourage YouTube to show it to even more people.

This week, I pray that you'll rediscover God's presence in the midst of whatever you're facing, and that gratitude becomes your lifeline back to Him.

WITH YOU IN THE JOURNEY,

P.S. A few weeks ago, I published my first article with Denison Forum about why we're so captivated by transformation stories, such as those featured on Dancing With the Stars. You might enjoy it, and can read it 👉 here.

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