“Selah” is a mysterious word. It is used 74 times in the Word, and still the meaning of the word is unknown. Many scholars believe they have a true sense of the word, but not all of them totally agree. Here are some interpretations I have found:
Musicians lean to a selah being an instrumental interlude because the Psalms were often set to music, and selah was used at the end of the sentence.
Biblical scholars refer to selah as “silence, pause, interruption, accentuate, exalt, or end.”
The Septuagint translated it into “a pause in the Psalm.”
Some versions of the Bible leave it untranslated or omit it altogether.
My favorite definition was: “Mark that. Stop there. Consider a little while. This matter is important. Take a moment to think about it.”
My husband is precious, and he has traveled on this quest with me since February 2014 when I started praying for healing and rest. Benny has listened to me whine, gripe, moan, and complain for years. Lately He has also listened to my heart when I was too tired to form the words I needed to say. Benny is a protector and wants the best for me, and in the past few weeks he has been asking me to take a rest (or sabbatical). I was facing burnout, but still thought “I could handle it.” I didn’t think it was necessary and I didn’t like his suggestion much, but I promised him I’d pray about it, so I had to. I prayed and pushed back, then prayed and pushed back some more. I wrestled many different emotions: sadness, emptiness, loss, loneliness, disappointment, resentment, feelings of failure, overwhelm, anger, and bitterness. But the two Goliaths I faced the most were exhaustion and guilt.
After praying some more, I felt like God was impressing on my heart the word “selah.” Music has been a language of my heart for as long as I can remember. I’ve always thought a selah only meant a pause in the music. But after investigating more, I found the other meanings above. God made it abundantly clear that I have made activity and responsibility my idol. I would automatically go to busyness to override the hurt and numb my feelings of anxiety, overwhelm, and guilt.
God never made our bodies and souls to sustain that. He had a reason He commanded us to take a Sabbath, and I ignored it. My priorities were all wrong, and that is why I am facing burnout. I go to bed exhausted and wake up exhausted, and it is my own fault. That day, I felt like God was agreeing with Benny, no matter what I thought best.
SO, SELAH IT IS…
I am taking my own selah to stop and pay more attention to what God is trying to tell me. It is uncomfortable and unfamiliar territory for me, and I’m not completely happy about it. I’ve already had to make a few tough decisions I didn’t want to make. I will pause most of the responsibilities, activities and busyness, those things I have assigned to myself, thinking it will make me more deserving. I will ask God to help me re-prioritize what He has for me instead of what I have collected for myself to do. I have battled for years with trying to be still, to no avail. Busyness and activity are tools satan has used my entire life, and I am going to try my best to allow God to take the lead and follow without dragging guilt on a rope behind us.
In the days to come I want to sit in God’s lap and be still…truly still, quiet, motionless. I want to hear His still small voice over the roar of the wind. I want to stop and listen to the birds sing each morning, and not be worried about what I will have to “catch up on.” I want to savor conversations without going over my to-do list in my head. I want to be present and enjoy the voices of my loved ones without life screaming in the background what I should be doing. My seven words during this selah are: rest, restore, relax, release, relearn, regroup, and reset. Seven means complete, and I will have word for each day of the week to focus on. My future goal is to operate in His strength, by His might, in His will and on His schedule.
God has always been good to us, but for some time now, I’ve been too busy to take the time to thank Him properly. He has always provided and walked beside us. Not once has He checked out on us. The last few years have been hard, and our family is still going through some tough changes. I have always tried to be open, honest, and transparent in my posts, and today is no different. I have written ON THE PORCH for a couple of years to encourage and help other brothers and sisters in their walk with Christ and journeys. I was taught as a little girl to always try to give more than I ask for, and I have always tried to live by that. But today I ask, would you stop and say a prayer for our family? For:
— Benny as he pastors our church, as he performs his duties as a battalion chief at the fire department, and gets his powerwashing business going
— Xavier as he attends his last semester of college and starts his journey in nursing
— God to bless Noah and Grace’s marriage, and for Noah as a firefighter and Grace as she begins her nursing career
— Sierra to follow God as He shows her His will for her future and she makes those decisions while working and taking college classes
— And me to leave all of this at the foot of the cross to relax in His arms while He speaks healing, love, and acceptance over me so that I can minister to others better when my selah ends.
If you pray for us, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Prayer is precious, and the best things we can do for each other.
Many of you have been on this journey with me and my family. You have replied with encouragement, love, and total acceptance. I felt like I needed to explain my absence on Facebook, daily verse texts, and phone calls. In the next few weeks, I hope to be ON THE PORCH sitting with my Savior sharing a selah moment.
**The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace. Numbers 6:24-26
Until my selah ends…
Love,
Chris
ON THE PORCH 