SELAH MOMENTS

SELAH MOMENTS

Blessed be the Lord, who daily
loadeth us with benefits,even
the God of our salvation. Selah
Psalm 68:19

Through the years we have loved the book of Psalms. We may have had many reasons for this love. Most Psalms are fairly easy to read and understand. Simply said, it is a hymn book with Psalms of varying topics just as our hymn books are. It isn't just a hymn book loved by the Hebrew people of long ago but has become precious to us as well.

We know the Psalms through the leading of the Holy Spirit came to be through the pens of different people. In fact, we know the names or positions of many of the writers who penned the Psalms of different types (Messianic, wisdom, historical, nature, repentance, praise, etc.). There is no end to the possibilities of the Holy Spirit speaking to us through these precious writings no matter the place in life we find ourselves to be.

For many years, I saw the word SELAH at the end of some of the Psalms. ( I am finding some translations, especially study Bibles have left that word out of their printing.) There have been any number of opinions as to the meaning of that word. There are 39 Psalms written by “the choirmaster” and of those, 31 end with SELAH. This has brought folks to believe that SELAH is a musical term, one like our “rest indicator” in music we sing or play. A rest in our music seems to be almost an irritant, necessary for the music to make sense. It may be viewed as an inconvenient interruption. We obey it, but then move on.

Some believe SELAH is more than that. The music rest indicates one to stop singing or playing for the time indicated and then move on. However, SELAH for most is more than a forced stop. It's more of a pause. I've even heard the word interpreted as “pause and take in...think...meditate on what was just read.” However, it's not just the resting or pausing. In that moment we may pause but it's also a time to anticipate what is to come.

In all these years, as often as I read or spent time in the Psalms, I doubt I've paid much attention to that word that is as much a part of Scripture as the verses it follows. It's easy to just read through things giving little thought to what we've read. SELAH seems to suddenly appear but we to gloss over it.

In my own reading whether in Psalms or other areas of Scripture I wonder if I am missing out on some SELAH moments. Those are moments as I read where I should pause and reflect on what the written word has just said to me. These moments don't have to be at the end of reading a chapter. Such a moment might come after ready only one verse or perhaps a cluster of verses. I'm thinking of times the Holy Spirit brings a Scripture to mind and when He does, it's always important to the moment. Do I treat it casually? By that I mean feeling special about the moment, but not parking there to really take in what that verse could/should mean to me.

How often do we just take SELAH moments to meditate and ponder the things of God, to evaluate or even for just a time of praise and contemplation. We live in a day of great evil and negative distractions. We often feel frustrated that leads to discouragement and even depression. God wants to calm our spirits in these days if we really want Him to. He is as near to listening to us as the breath we breathe.

SELAH moments may entail taking a brief time to just sit and unwind, perhaps with reading or working on a puzzle. We, in our day, are missing out on moments to relax if for no other reason than to let our bodies slow down, recuperate from the stressors of life. We almost feel that such SELAH moments are a waste of time or even be misunderstood in their purpose.

Jesus took His SELAH moments, often going to one side to pray. He found rest in talking with His Father. We're often told we are to be like Jesus. Yes, He was and is God but He also came to us in human form. He had the same needs as do we. He was a Man of the Word as evident in the ways He often quoted Scripture. If nothing else, in those two ways, we can be more like Him, taking advantage of SELAH moments. Such is desperately for all of us in these days of concern. I'm not talking about our devotional times necessarily. That's a given. Those moments we need to just pause and even meditate on the right things that will renew and refresh us. It can't hurt to give it a try. We'll be the better for it.

Father, thank You for Jesus' example in every area of our humanity. Thank You too that You are always present in those SELAH moments of ours and are concerned for Your children that we be healthy in every way. Help us to take more advantage of those “green pasture” moments You lead us to. In Jesus name....Amen