Whack-a-Mole and God

Photo by Denise Jans on Unsplash

“My spirit, why are you so sad? Why are you so upset deep down inside me? Put your hope in God. Once again, I will have reason to praise him. He is my Savior and my God.” -- Psalm 42:5, 11, 43:5 (NIRV)

Have you ever played the game whack-a-mole? I grew up in the 1980s (I know I’m aging myself here), but if you don’t know what it is, it’s very literally an arcade game where you use a mallet (it is, a least, a soft one) to pound the top of an animal’s head (usually a mole, hence the name) back into the “ground.”

It is very intense now that I’m thinking about it, but the image comes to when I think of God sometimes whacking us on the side of the head with a verse to jar us a little and get us back to thinking correctly.

Has this happened to you? Where He uses verses to get you out of your sticky state of depression, or anxiety, or worry and remind you He is in control and has got you?

That is what these particular verses in Psalm 42 and 43 have done for me over and over again. You see, at different points in my life, I have walked with my head down. Some moments have been because of complete desperation and utter brokenness, like when I stumbled upon them as I sat beside my sister who was in her final days and read her verses to calm her spirit (and mine). Then, they were beautiful. Haunting in their simplicity. And refreshing in their guidance that He would be the reason we would be okay… again. One day.

But then, other times, these verses have made their way into my Bible, devotional readings, and recollection when I’ve simply hit “my wits’ end” for the week or even the day. You know what I’m talking about. The moment you’re done. When you toss in the towel. When you say, “That’s it! I can’t handle anything else,” with tears streaming down your cheeks.

But…

Then, miraculous things happen when God’s at work. The wind whispers this Psalm, using the wind as it rushes through your hair, and a butterfly flutters past your nose, landing on a deep purple flower you don’t know the name of but wish you did because its precious and perfect. Then a bluebird, with its cerulean feathers flash in the sky landing on a powerline just long enough to wink at you before floating away again, with that butterfly.

And you realize, once again, same as before, and as before that, and as before that, and in the future, He will give you reason to praise Him again. He is your Hope, Your Savior, and Your God. Read and memorize these verses. Store them up for your time of need for when you’ve hit your end. He will be there. He may even play whack-a-mole with you to get your attention.

Questions for Reflection:

1. When you are depressed and anxious, what types of things do you do to reassure yourself that everything will be ok?

2. Do you have a go-to passage of Scripture that helps settle you down and gives you a sense of comfort and peace?

3. Has there ever been a time where God didn't show up to help you in your time of need?