Hello again, Leah here! I hope your week is going well! Today, I have the final installment of our January- New Year, New Start series {which means we’ll be starting a new series next week…and there might even be some new releases in the shop}. I hope you have been enjoying it, and that you are feeling encouraged as you begin your 2017 adventure.
Today’s post is all about Selah. Not the band. Sorry, truth be told I don’t have much to offer on them as I have never really listened to their music. What I’m talking about today is a word used in the Bible. This word is often used in poetic scriptures. It’s most often found in the Psalms, generally at the end of a verse. While the meaning of the word isn’t fully known, and sometimes disputed, many definitions I’ve heard follow along these lines: to praise; to pause and reflect on what God has said or done; to stop and listen; to weigh or measure.
#honestytime
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I find it hard to sit myself down an intentionally do any of those things. Life gets busy of course, but even when I have a minute to myself, it can be hard to reflect on what God’s been saying to me, assuming I took the time to to stop and listen to begin with. Often there is great weight to what he speaks into my soul. Sometimes it leads me to praise Him, and others may cause me to want to grumble and question His plan for me. Just being honest here, although I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one.
When I’m uncertain of why something is happening in my life the last thing I want to do is *selah.* I want to tell God to fix it, or fix it myself. I don’t want to think about why it happened, what I’m learning from it, and thank God for the lesson. I want to get down to business and solve the problem. Anyone out there relate? No, just me?
Sometimes, it isn’t so much that I don’t want to reflect, but I’ve allowed myself to get busy. I haven’t carved out time to *selah.* By the time I “have time” to do the hard work of *selah* it’s a lot to handle. The weight is bogging me down, and the thought of reflecting on all that has happened since my last *selah* is too overwhelming. I’d rather take refuge in distraction (netflix, a coloring book, or a bag of chips). Again, am I on my own here?
In spite of the challenge that it can be, I’ve found that taking the time to do these things is so beneficial to my spiritual health. Taking time to reflect on how God is working in my life allows me to gain perspective. Perspective on how God is moving in my own life, as well as what God is doing throughout His whole creation.
Reflection, praise and listening are key parts to a healthy relationship with God. The Lord longs to meet us in our *selah* moments, to speak, to listen, to receive our praise, and to help us as we take on the weight of what is happening in our lives. He wants to be our refuge of solitude, the place we can go when the stresses of life overwhelm. But all too often we choose something else that hurts us more than it protects us.
Psalm 46:10-11 (AMP)
“Be still and know (recognize, understand) that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth.”
The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold [our refuge, our high tower]. Selah.
I completed this page in my Bible after a particularly busy season of life. It was a major conviction to me to daily take the time to *selah* and although I’m not perfect at it, I’ve done better since challenging myself to make this a priority.
Are you in need of some *selah* time? Perhaps 2016 was an eventful year, and you haven’t taken the time to pause and reflect on what God has done through the course of the year. Do it. Perhaps 2017 is already off to a busy start, take some time to *selah* before you forget. Find some little moments to reflect on what God is saying to you. You won’t regret doing the hard work, when see you that the Lord of hosts is with you and that he is your stronghold through all of life’s ups and downs.
Blessings,
Leah
