Selah Moments

LORD, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me. Many are they who say of me, “There is no help for him in God.” Selah But You, O LORD, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head.

Psalm 3:1–3

As you read what happened to David as he cried out to God in the verses above, notice the selah in the psalm. You will find such “selah moments” throughout David’s psalms. That means David paused . . . and listened.

In those moments, David turned his eyes from his troubles and looked to his God. In those moments, I believe he remembered afresh that he did not have to fight his battles because the Lord of hosts fought for him (1 Sam. 17:45–47). He remembered afresh the God who had delivered him from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear, the God who overcame Goliath without sword or spear. And as he looked to the Lord, he strengthened himself in the Lord (1 Sam. 30:6), and that’s when things started to change.

Change came when he shifted his focus away from his painful and dire circumstances and allowed himself to be absorbed instead in the grace of the Lord, when he paused and tuned in to what the Lord was encouraging him with on the inside. I believe that in those few moments of meditating on God’s goodness and mercy, he heard the Lord say to him, “David, why are you worried about all these people coming against you? I am your shield. I am the glory and the lifter of your head.” That was what brought about David’s turning point in the situation. God’s comfort came to David as he chose to selah.

Does it seem like your enemies have increased and many are rising up against you? Have you been getting one bad report after another from the doctor? Maybe they have found a lot more to be concerned about than you were previously aware of. And now your heart is heavy because it feels like maybe even God can’t help you.

At times like this, do what David did. Selah. Pause and choose to run to the Lord in the presence of your enemies.

When David came back to the psalm, his enemies were still there. But he could rise up and declare, “But You, O LORD, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head.”

In your selah moments with the Lord, you will find your turning point and victory. Don’t remain discouraged. Don’t run away from Him. Run to Him and worship Him.

This devotional is taken from the book The Healing Power of the Holy Communion—A 90-Day Devotional.