Selah
Dear Faith Family,
O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame? How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? Selah, (Psalm 4:2).
Busy. Hurry. Urgent. Done. Next. More. Words that all too well define our current culture. We are no doubt a people on the move. I’m not sure that we’re sure how not to be busy.
The guy in front never drives quite fast enough! Checkout always takes too long. Your spouse is forever getting ready. Even when we’re forced to stop and wait in line, then what? Why, of course, we take out our cell phone and check something. And if we don’t have something to check? No problem. Surely, we can find something to download so that we’ll have something to check!
How about another word? A word that, can we say, should define our current culture? If you’re reading through the Psalms you may have read the very word of which I speak. Or you might have skipped over it. The word? Selah.
Apparently, selah is a musical term. Luther characterized the word as follows: “The selah is telling us to pause and reflect diligently on the words of the psalm; for they require a calm and tranquil soul who is able to grasp with understanding what the Holy Ghost is presenting to his thought.”
What if our loving Father is setting the stage for selah? Purposely planting a slow driver directly in front of us. Encouraging everyone to check out at the same time. Calling us to selah. To pause and reflect. To “hurry down” instead of hurry up. Interesting that immediately after asking “how long?”, David inserted (under the direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit)selah!
Today, as you read God’s Word, pause and reflect. Ask some questions like, what are You teaching me about Yourself, God? What did You mean when You said those words? Read through the Word of God and use the very words of God to form a prayer to Him.
God, will You help me to pause and to reflect on Your Word, truth?
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