“He loves me, he loves me not. She loves me, she loves me not.” It’s a familiar and simple game. By alternating those statements while plucking pedals from a flower one-by-one, an individual seeks to discover whether their affection for someone is, or will be, reciprocated. Ultimately, it’s an exercise in hopefulness and powerlessness. 

Following the Lord through the ups and downs of life can feel similar: “He loves me, he loves me not. He’s with me, he’s with me not. He protects me, he protects me not.” Back-and-forth, over mountaintops and through valleys, sometimes feeling hopeful and sometimes feeling futile. But this isn’t something new for God’s people. Even the great David found himself playing this game, alternating between faith and fear, confidence and cowardice, trust and tears. But David also knew how to win the game—how to, despite the circumstances of his life, always pluck the last pedal and declare, “He loves me! He’s with me! He protects me!” And we want to learn how to do that too.