Apr 24
Today’s Truth
Reflect in your heart while on your bed and be silent. Selah (Psalm 4:4b CSB).
Friend to Friend
I open my eyes to a new day and it’s hard to resist rushing into it. I’m learning the power of pausing, inspired by the invitation found in Psalm 4:4. “Reflect in your heart while on your bed and be silent. Selah” The word “Selah” appears over seventy times in the book of Psalms, yet in many ways it remains a mystery because there is no English equivalent.
Author and worship pastor Jason Soroski says, “Many commentators think that Selah meant ‘to pause’ or ‘to reflect’. This could have been a request for the reader or listener to pause and think about what has just been said, or it could have been a space for voices to pause and for instruments to play alone. We don’t really know for certain.”
What I do know for certain is that I need moments of Selah in my life. I used to think “busy” was a badge of honor, that it proved I had worth and was wanted. I saw anything like Selah as an interruption. But after ending up on the brink of burnout a few years ago, I began to see it as an invitation.
Our God didn’t design us for maximum productivity but for relational intimacy. We so easily forget this and think we’re on this earth to do as much as we can as quickly as we can. But the One who spoke the world into being in six days has no trouble with his to-do list.
What if the pauses in our lives are more important than what we can produce? To be honest, this question scares me. To come to God as I am with nothing in my hands seems to be an act of great vulnerability. But this is exactly why I need Selah. Because without pausing I forget how much I’m loved. I forget I have nothing to prove. I forget that I’m not made for striving but for relationship.
Selah is placed with intention throughout the Psalms. We can also place it intentionally throughout our days. It’s tempting to think we need to wait until we go on vacation or even retire to slow down. But Selah can be found in the here and now, wherever we are.
Selah goes well with morning coffee, with the cozy corner of a couch, prayer closets, and carpool lines. Anywhere we can find a sliver of time. Selah doesn’t demand hours. It asks only for a deep breath, a few moments, and a little rest in the middle of the rush.
As we focus on the cross and resurrection, let’s also remember God placed a holy, powerful pause between the two.
Let’s Pray
Dear God, You invite us not to productivity but to intimacy. When we’re tempted to hurry through our days, draw us back to Your heart. Show us how to not only choose Selah in big ways but in small, everyday ones—especially during this Easter season.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
What is one way you’ll intentionally incorporate Selah into your life this week?
More from the Girlfriends
Holley Gerth is passionate about helping women thrive in who God created them to be. Her latest book, Introvert by Design: A Guided Journal for Living with New Confidence in Who You’re Created to Be, releases soon. For more about the book or to take a quick (free!) quiz to see what percent introvert you are, visit holleygerth.com/introverts.
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I love how you said “Selah” could mean a request for the reader or listener to pause and think about what was just said. Whether it’s reading through my devotions in the morning, spending time in prayer, or going through the routines of the day, this is such a great reminder to take time to PAUSE and reflect on God’s goodness and His presence. A couple weeks ago, someone left a comment in one of my devotions that said she set her alarm for a specific time each day as a way to take a moment to redirect her thoughts and have an attitude check. That inspired me to set my alarm for 2pm and, if I’m at home, I stop and write a note to someone I’m praying for and drop it in the mailbox or simply pray for someone God has put on my heart. If I’m not at home, I either send an encouraging text to someone, pray, or reflect on how God has revealed Himself to me that day. If I’m at work, I check my attitude…by 2pm I begin getting tired and know an attitude check is exactly what I need😉 This new discipline has been life-changing for me.
I rush through every moment with a to do list as long as my arm. I have been burned out for 10 years and know it. I get nothing done, adding to my list and to the stress. This morning as I read this devotion, I skipped a fitness class for a few extra minutes to breathe, to reflect and to start the week with a pause
Thank you, GIGs(Holley…Susan and Kathy)!
Oh, how we need to turn ourselves into “Mary”! I find myself turning “Martha” all the time!
Just as an example, at my yoga class last week, God revealed a meaning of scripture to me that I’ve been praying over for weeks?! He knew my heart, but He also knew He needed my attention,(for my action) during the meditation segment of my class!
Susan your suggestion is perfect for a “Selah” moment in the day. How about we all find a moment of pause, for deep breathing and reflecting? My own Pastor, uses 10:02 every day (refers to Luke chapter 10).
Lord, let us use this special word, Selah, to lead us closer to you.
Susan, I love this idea! Holley, thank you for this beautiful devotion today. I think it’s exactly what so many of us need. God bless you.
I am finishing up my hardest semester of college and did not get a chance to catch up on sleep or rest this weekend like I usually do. All semester I have been going nonstop for 13 or more hours at a time. Today after a weekend of being exhausted, I woke up feeling sick, called out of my classes and responsibilities, and slept for 13 hours, after which I felt better. I have more deadlines this week than any other week so far, so I believe God made me rest before my crazy week. And then I go to this devotional like I do every day and it’s about rest. This is not the first time that it seems as though God is speaking directly to me through this devotional. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I am commenting either, as I didn’t even think to leave a comment and share my miracle today until I randomly scrolled. God will MAKE me lie down in green pastures.