Psalm 46:10-11
10
Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
11
The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
The word
“still”
in the Hebrew means:
“Rest, to let go, to release something”
Matthew 11:28
28
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Psalm 4:4
4
Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
Do you ever feel like you are about to crash and burn? Sometimes, just living in this sin cursed world can wear you down. The burdens and problems of life never seem to let up. It's in times like these that we could use a
"Selah".
No one really knows what the word Selah means but it’s found 77 times in the Scripture; 74 times in Psalms and 3 times in Habakkuk. Most scholars believe that
"Selah"
is a musical rest used to introduce a change of tempo in the song. Selah is a reminder to
“stop and think”
or to pause or to call time out.
“Selah”
is like a good
“sigh”
.
It’s as if the worship service is going so great and the glory of God is so powerful, and the singing is reaching the height of heaven; suddenly everyone just stops to soak it all in.
Instead of just a lot of action, motions and loud noise; it’s time for us to stand in awe and allow worship to sink into the deepest part of our soul and spirit.
The hustle and bustle of life leaves us very little time to be still.
"Too busy" is a phrase we say and hear as often today as
"good morning." Busyness is such a huge part of all our lives.
- 55% of those who do not attend church say it's because they are too busy.
- 47% people don't read their Bibles because they are too busy.
- Nearly half (49%) of the people in a poll about the quality of their life stated that they were too busy.
It sounds like we are at a good place for a Selah. The danger of being too busy is that it doesn’t allow us quality time for God, our family or ourselves. If our lives are so busy that we push God and our family aside…If we are so busy that we refuse to help others because we simply can't find the time…We need to re-evaluate our schedules and commitments.
We are driven in life to: Work harder, climb the ladder of success and put in extra hours!
But there are times when God leads us to a Selah. There are times when He calls us to a secret place. We need a Selah where we just simply stand in awe at the greatness of God. Imagine all of heaven standing in awe at the glory and majesty of God and you along with them.
When you get tired and weary, it’s a good place for a Selah!
When you are troubled and discouraged, it is a good place for a Selah!
When you’ve run out of options and you don’t know what to do, it’s a good place for a Selah!
