The gift of frankincense was a tangible reminder of the proper worship of God in His temple. Christmas is not about respecting Jesus as important, but worshiping Him as God.

As familiar as the Christmas story is, we've probably gotten some details wrong, and definitely have not understood deeply enough the weight of the glory of Christmas. The magi's first gift of gold not only rightfully worships Jesus as King, but also points to a gift far greater than gold itself.

We gather to celebrate God's goodness and respond to his great works with thanksgiving, which is his command and his will for every believer.

The reality of life is that it ends. Tomorrow is not promised for any of us, and death can come at any time. As Saul faces the reality of his own impending death, we see that it is possible to seek God's plan without actually desiring to follow God's will. In the end, will we be found to be faithful followers of God, or will he say he never knew us?

What goes on in our hearts has consequences in every area of our lives. And when God goes missing from our hearts, we can find ourselves in situations we never thought we'd be in. The story of David in Philistia warns and encourages us that only when we seek God's kingdom and righteousness does everything else fall into place.

Faced with another opportunity to kill Saul, David demonstrates how he is a man after God's own heart, living every moment with a singular focus on God's sovereign purposes.

How do you respond when you are tempted? Temptations open up for us the opportunity to go the wrong way, to make a bad decision, to fall into sin. But as sure as temptations are to come, so is God's help.

David and Saul cross paths for the first time since the pursuit began. In what appears to others to be a God-given, open-door opportunity, David doesn't seize the moment to kill his enemy. As a man after God's own heart, David knows that there is a bigger picture that only God sees, to which we are blind.

In times of trouble, we find ourselves asking whether God actually cares. Though his presence and his help might seem distant at first, they become more clear when we seek his plan, fellowship with his people, and trust his providence.

In a psalm written in response to the events at Nob, David reveals the heart of a man who has a righteous response in the face of evil. Looking at the evildoer, then to God, then to ourselves, we learn to take on the right perspective that God always remains steadfast and trustworthy.