selah
Have you ever noticed the Hebrew word Selah in the book of Psalms? While there’s much debate over it’s full meaning, many take it to be a rest (similar to the rest symbol in sheet music)–signifying the need to pause and ponder what was written. However accurate this may be, I’ve taken to heeding the call to pause and ponder as I’m reading the Psalms.
“Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Selah.” (Psalm 68:19)
That’s definitely worth pausing to ponder. I need to rest there a while. He daily bears my burdens. The full weight and significance of that is easy to miss if I skim over it or quickly move past it. Selah reminds me to stop and let it sink in.
“I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all Your works and consider what Your hands have done. I spread out my hands to You; my soul thirsts for You like a parched land. Selah.” (Psalm 143:5-6)
If I don’t bother to camp out there a bit, I miss the whole point of the passage. I’d quickly read onto the next verse–”Answer me quickly, O Lord…“–without bothering to first remember, meditate, consider, and thirst for Him. Yes, the Selah is perfectly positioned.
My soul is in need of a selah. It needs to pause, rest, slow down, and pull back. It needs to be still, fully hear, and be embraced by total peace. It needs to linger instead of hurry, remain rather than rush, hold fast instead of let go, loiter rather than leave.
Between the demands of our culture and my own personality, selah is very hard for me. It’s hard to slam on the breaks when I’ve been going full-steam-ahead for so long. Cognitively, I understand that it’s not only fine but necessary for me to slow down. It’s still hard for my heart to accept and do.
But it’s time. And I know it.
I am trying to heed the call to pause and ponder.
This is a pertinant post. So often in our line of work we are pushed (usually by our own inner drive) to perform, accomplish and get numbers on the board. The time of rest is necessary for us, just like it is for the locamotive that you used as an illustration. If we don’t rest we will fall apart because there will be no time for the Great Mechanic to tweak us and make repairs.
This is why I find it ironic, yet understandable, that you would try (emphasis on performance) to heed the call to pause and ponder.
Thanks for the reminder, sister. Oh – I agree that hugs can be life-changing things.
great reminder… thank you.
just wandered over to your site. love it.
blessings on your ministry!
It’s easy to recognize that this needs to happen, even fairly easy to write about it, but doing this pausing and pondering? Actually, practically, physically doing it? Not so easy.
and that is exactly where my struggle lies.
Thanks so much for posting this. I especially needed it today.
a thought provoking post…it made me want to “selah” right away!
Yes Kitty, YES… I am excited that you are embracing this Selah… a time of rest for yourself… keep us posted on how it goes :)
thanks everybody for the wonderfully encouraging comments. i’m excited for all my new visitors lately. hopefully you’ll stick around a bit.
daniel — your profile is unavailable. how’d you find me?
these are great thoughts, but so hard. mostly in my brain. when reading or thinking or praying to get my brain to slow down enough to ponder and rest and hear…hmmm. man! i love psalms even though i’m in isaiah for my reading plan i’ve wandered into the psalms again and last night after an intense conversation with daniel on the condition of our hearts i read something there that brought so much hope. thank you Jesus (and david!) selah.
I have to agree with Natalie. One of those things that’s so good in theory, but so HARD in practice! But this was an excellent reminder.
sigh.
sigh.