One of the most precious and glorious promises ever given to believers
is found in today’s Gospel lesson from John 14: 27 where Our Lord Jesus
Christ said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the
world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let
them be afraid.” This verse gives us the absolute confidence that Christ –
along with His church – will ultimately prevail whatever may come. While this
verse promises peace in the midst of turmoil, it also points to the possibility
that in this life, “you will have tribulation” (Jn 16:33).
Look with me at the glorious promises of God found in today’s Psalm 46:
1God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
2Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be moved,
and though the hills be carried into the midst of the sea;
3Though its waters rage and swell, and though the mountains shake at its tempest.
Selah
The reality of God’s strength, combined with the reality of His nearness,
gives us peace because we can run to Him and find courage in the safety of
His shelter. Even “though” we feel like we have lost all hope, the protection of
the Lord is “a very present help in trouble.”
Some suppose Selah is meant to direct the singer of the Psalm to be silent,
and to pause a little, while the musicians play a brief interlude. Others
believe Selah to be an expletive like Amen or Hallelujah! Some suppose
Selah to mean that the Scripture should incite worshipers to raise their hands
to express exaltation when emotions rise beyond the reach of willful speech.
And others who take a more contemplative approach, believe Selah to
mean one should Pause the reading and Reflect on the magnitude and
importance of what has been revealed in the Scripture and to respond with
Praise and exaltation of the “author and perfector of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).
“Wherever we see Selah, we should look upon it as a note of observation.
Let us read the passage with greater earnestness, for surely there is always
something excellent where we are required to rest, pause, and meditate,
or when we are required to lift up our hearts in grateful song.”
Charles Spurgeon
Imagine you read or hear something in Scripture and you sense Jesus asking
you to stop and stay with that specific Scripture. Would you stop everything
and stay with Jesus? Would you stay with Jesus and listen to Him until He
says it’s time for you to continue on your way? Or would you say, But Lord
I don’t have time right now – Can it wait?
Selah doesn’t beg us to pause, it doesn’t put a lot of fanfare around it, it’s
just magnificently almost quietly there. At the end of verses 3, 7 & 11, Selah
is meant to guide and edify the congregation, drawing believers to meditate
upon God’s character and divine deeds.
Psalm 46 verses 4-7, contains a great contrast of emotions. The nations are raging,
the kingdoms are toppling, the earth is melting, but the people of God are assured by the
presence of God. We see a picture of the presence of God like a calming river
flowing through nations even as they seem to be crumbling to the ground.
The presence of the Lord is like a calm river that brings gladness to our
hearts in the midst of whatever is going on around us (v 4). When it feels as if your
world is falling apart, know that God is with us, and His presence gives us joy
in spite of the chaos. We must remember to go to the river and drink deeply
from the satisfying reality of His presence.
Verse 7 is a chorus repeated again in verse 11, “The Lord of hosts is with
us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.” The idea of the Lord of Hosts is used
over two hundred times in the Old Testament. It means that our God is a
warrior, and He rules over all the armies of the world and in heaven. No
commander is stronger, and nothing can come against Him that has power
greater than His.
The Lord of Hosts is working all things together for good according to His will
and His plan for those who love Him (Rms 8:28). Let not your hearts be troubled,
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble”! (vs 1)
Selah
So that we might have our hearts filled with restful confidence in the Lord,
the psalmist invites us to “Come and behold the works of the LORD” in
Verse 8. This is an invitation to see for ourselves what God has done and what
He will continue to do throughout all eternity.
After affirming the Lord’s protection, presence and sovereignty, we are
commanded to “Be still and know that I am God” (vs 10). This is a call for the
people of God to stop their worrying and complaining. It is a call to Selah,
to rest in God’s presence, to know that the LORD of Hosts is our God and He
will be exalted. We can live with the settled assurance that even if the gates of
Hell try to prevail against us, God “is our refuge” protecting us from
everything that troubles us. Selah
Selah was given us to help align our lives with the rhythms God
intended us to live, so that we can find rest in Him. Think Sabbath. Sabbath
was instituted by God our Creator, as a time appointed to step out of the
frenetic pace of everyday life and enter into a state of sacred pause, stillness
and contemplation on God Himself. See Psalm 62:5
By embracing Selah, we create the space necessary for those things God
is revealing to us to take root in our spirit and to nourish our lives.
Is there anyone here going through a tough season, feeling worn out,
uncertain, maybe even defeated? For the last couple of weeks I have noticed
a grieving in our midst and as I have spoken with people many have expressed
a deep feeling of loss after the recent deaths we have experienced.
Last week as the Children’s Church leadership team was praying, I was reminded
of the memory verse we are teaching the Kids this term: 1 Peter 5:10 “And after you
have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal
glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”
God sees our struggles – they aren’t for nothing. Sometimes we have to go
through challenges to build the strength, resilience, and character God is
calling us to. Our Lord promises that after a little while He will restore us, He
will make us stronger and He will make us steadfast.
Our pain is temporary, God’s grace is forever! You are not walking through
life alone, hold on – hang in there! God is working on your restoration, a work
He began before the foundation of the world. Suffering is a part of life, but it’s
also a part of God’s plan to grow us spiritually. Pain happens to every
person, but purpose full pain happens only to the child of God.
It is understandable that the Christian heart cries out in suffering, “Why? –
Why now, Why this way, Why this long?”
We experience pain and suffering because we live in a broken and sinful world
which should drive us to long for a better world. A world redeemed and freed
from sin, a world that God will one day come again and establish. The same
world we read about in Revelation 21 where God re-creates the new Heaven
and the new earth where there is no death, no mourning, no pain, nor crying.
Our pain and suffering will be redeemed. Look to Jesus and not at the
troubles that surround you – the grace by which you were given new life is
sustained and strengthened through our union with our Lord.
Speaking of All Souls Whitey once said, “I want people to see the grace of
God in our church. I want people to see the grace of God in our lives, when
we go to work and when we walk down the street. I want people to see the
grace of God in the words that we use and the work that we do.”
When used of God, Selah can stretch us sometimes in uncomfortable ways,
but we must recognize that time in the presence of the Lord is making space
for the Holy Spirit to come and make us more receptive to God’s love, wisdom
and action in our lives.
We must choose to allow the Holy Spirit to work even in the midst of our
pain and grief. Jeremiah 6:16 provides insight into what Selah entails:
“Thus says the LORD: Stand at the crossroads and look, and ask for the
ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for
your souls” (NIV).