Selah

Wow. I found this amazing picture in Ben's photo archives and I couldn't resist putting it in here. Aren't the colors amazing? Isn't the Creator of this flower amazing? Who would think of making something as intricate and delicate as this?

As we work through how we listen to God, or how we ought to, a word that came up in our study of Psalm 57 comes to mind. Selah. We find it often in the Psalms; it is commonly thought to indicate a pause in the music.

Actually, there are differing ideas of what it means, but I like the Amplified Bible's translation: Pause and calmly think of that. It could also come from a Hebrew word that means "to weigh". So we might think of weighing God's words thoughtfully as we attempt to listen.

Perhaps the theme of our listening could be Selah: Pause and calmly think of that. As we listen to the Lord speaking through creation, through His Word, and through His Son, we pause . . . we calmly weigh what He is teaching us . . . we rest in His spoken Word to us. He means for us to hear Him. He yearns for us to learn from Him. The Amplified records Jesus' words this way: Take my yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest--relief, ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet--for your souls. (Matthew 11:29)

Pause. Calmly think of that!