A Bench Called SELAH

Scripture Reading: Psalm 89

A great way to exercise and talk to God is in the beauty of a forest trail. Many of our state parks offer such trails with differing degrees of difficulty and travel time. There is a particular trail I remember in South Carolina I used to walk. I lived in Greenville for nearly a decade and not too far from me was Paris Mountain State Park. The trail was quite long if you traversed the whole distance. It started in a large parking area and did a great winding loop up the mountain and then down the other side of the mountain to your point of origin. Along the way there was a large pond and waterfall, dark areas of pine and laurel thickets, another stream and a very narrow winding shelf up the side of the mountain before reaching the top and your journey downward. There were places that were steep and places that were nice and rolling. All in all a person in good shape made the whole trip in about an hour and a half. Along the way at various points of the trail there were small benches. These benches were just rough hewn half logs nailed together, but to a weary traveler (like me) they offered a great place for rest and to drink some water I carried. Even if you could walk the whole trail without the need to sit down a while it was still nice to sit and reflect on the surroundings and God's world.

The Psalms offer such a resting point in the word called "Selah." The word itself means to think about what was just said. To borrow a personal interpretation, "when you come to this word, STOP, REREAD, THINK, THINK AGAIN, then go ahead." So much of the Psalms have this word in it and generally it occurs after an attribute of God has just been described, or a great event in the future will occur that only God can perform.

The word "Selah" helps us to reflect on the majesty and power of God. So many times we read the Scriptures in a hurried fashion. Sometimes we feel an obligation to read a passage of Scripture just to check off a list. It is a good thing to read the Bible on a schedule, but take time to read it. Reading several chapters at a sitting will get you through the Bible but does it get you into the Bible? What I mean is that when we speed read or take too big a bite of Scriptural reading we lose the important details in wash of too much information. Every verse is profound in some fashion. However, especially in Psalms, we hike through a large section of reading and we need to pause to get our "breath" and to focus on the territory just covered. When you read about God's singular act of setting the stars and planets in their courses, or the consideration of God towards lowly man, or even His sovereign plan for time and eternity that no one can change, does this awe and inspire you? The "selah" is there to help remind us to reflect and not take for granted the unspeakable power of God. We grow to used to hearing Biblical teaching and the display of God's power that our hearts get a bit hardened and cold in our recited knowledge. Let us not grow too knowledgeable that we become too untouchable. Selah.

The word "Selah" used to help us reflect can also cause us to take notice. Many times in a Psalm there is given warnings for mankind. Take for example verse 47-48 of today's reading. David warns that our bodies will see death. He communicates that life on this earth can't be spent in frivolity always. There will come a day when the sober moments come. David warns us to prepare our souls for death by trusting in God. Such passages you might say are not only rest benches but danger signs. Notice that plenty of warning is given throughout Scripture to avert any calamity before that calamity comes. Likewise, a road sign saying "Bridge Out" doesn't come once you try to start crossing the bridge. Many times we prance on our way or rush things too much to look at the warning signs. So God mercifully in His Word places them along in the Scriptures to warn us. Mark those places and thank God they are there. Thank God He cares enough about us to tell us. Selah.

Lastly, the word "Selah" is there for us to pause and be comforted. Generally speaking the Psalms are for our comfort and encouragement. David who wrote many of them knew the heart of God, because He was in pursuit of it for himself. Many times "selah" is placed after a selection of comfort. When we seek comfort from Scripture we generally do not rush through the passages, however, the Scriptures itself are a bench to rest on. The Scriptures are a surety in a world where nothing is sure. Life deals us hard blows. Sometimes even God seems so distant from us, however, he reminds us in verses 33-37 that He will not utterly forsake us when we sin, nor can He take back what He has promised! Selah. What a comfort to know that death will not condemn the believer in Jesus Christ! What a surety it is to be walking through the forest and seeing the evidence of God's omnipotence and then read in His Word that He is Lord over all the creation (vs 5-9). All this for our benefit, God, who is rich in mercy, thinks about us. Selah.

The next time you are taking a stroll amidst the Creation and you see a place of rest, remember the Psalms. When you are reading the Psalms and you come to a place of rest, remember to reflect, take notice, and be comforted. When we need a thought to rest our minds on, whether we have our Bibles open or not, Remember and Rest on the words of Christ to the believer in Luke 10:20, the believer's names are registered in Heaven.

Father, thank You that there are such resting places in Your Word and that we may rest upon them as long as we like. Help us to be places of rest to others to encourage them and comfort them. May Lord you comfort us and make us aware of Your presence always. In your Wonderful name, the only Name that matters, the name of Jesus. Amen.

Pass this along to a friend and remember always to keep your eyes upon the skies, Jesus is coming soon!