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Selah Moments sacred pauses your soul for A JOYFUL LIFE STUDY AIMEE WALKER by All Text in this study guide is the property of AimEe Walker and THE JOYFUL LIFE COMPANY. You are welcome to share excerpts from the text, provided that full and clear credit is given to AimEe and THE JOYFUL LIFE COMPANY. © copyright 2019, the joyful life company edited by tiffany edmonds cover image BY Carolyn watson COLORING PAGE ART BY TASHA WIGINTON All scripture references throughout are English Standard Version (ESV) unless noted. www.joyfullifemagazine.com Selah Moments sacred pauses your soul for table of contents INTRODUCTION DAY 1 | An Evaluating Pause 8 DAY 2 | A Spacious Pause 13 DAY 3 | A Searching Pause 19 DAY 4 | A Solemn Pause 25 DAY 5 | A Victorious Pause 33 WEEKEND REFLECTION A Thankful Pause 38 DAY 6 | A Consecrating Pause 45 DAY 7 | A Blessed Pause 51 DAY 8 | A Meaningful Pause 57 DAY 9 | A Loving Pause 63 DAY 10 | A Still Pause 68 WEEKEND REFLECTION An Honoring Pause 74 table of contents You, Yahweh, have become my ; You take me and shield surround me with Yourself... Ps. 3:3 ESV Introduction Selah. It’s a beautiful, if not somewhat mysterious, word. A word that beckons and invites us to slow down; to linger and pause in God’s presence; to pay attention not only to our own stories, but to Him. Throughout this study, you are invited to record the names and attributes of God spoken of in each Psalm in a list you’ll find at the back of this devotional. This was an exercise I did a number of years ago that expanded my understanding of who God is, causing me to marvel at His complex beauty. I hope it will do the same for you. It is my prayer that as we explore these first twelve ‘Selah’ psalms, that your life and faith are strengthened. But more than anything, that your love for Him is deepened and enlarged. May Selah not just be a word, or even a moment, may it become the rhythm of your life. introduction day one An Evaluating Pause 8 | THE JOYFUL LIFE CO. READ Psalm 3. The Selah pauses occur after vv. 2, 4, and 8. Study Note: Psalm 3 is categorized as a ‘personal lament.’ It is David pouring out his heart in the midst of the events that are recorded for us in 2 Samuel 15-18. David’s own son, Absalom, had turned against him and sought to take the throne for himself. This fulfilled what Nathan had prophesied over David in 2 Samuel 12:11, that “God would generate evil against him out of his own household” as a consequence of his adultery with Bethsheba. Absalom began to turn the people of Israel against his father with false words (2 Samuel 15:1-4), and he continued to sow lies for a period of four years before publicly turning against David. In light of this, it is fitting that at the close of this psalm that David invites God to strike his enemies on the jaw—the place where their sin originated. Reflect Misunderstood. Rejected. Betrayed. David knew well the deep pain that comes when those who are meant to care for us, meant to stand with us, instead turn against us. He’d spent much of his younger years on the run from King Saul, a man he’d looked up to and served not only as his king but also as a father. Now, as he pens this psalm, his own son Absalom has conspired to overthrow him and take the throne for himself. The betrayal that started within his very walls has spread throughout the kingdom gaining strength and numbers. Once again, David is on the run, fearing for his very life. Not only has David been told that “the hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom” (2 Samuel 15:13), now they murmur that God has forsaken him. That He will not act to save David. This is the backdrop against which the very first Selah of Scripture is framed. Betrayal, rejection, shame, and overwhelming despair as well as seemingly insurmountable odds. Yes, the very firstSelah invites us to join with David in pausing to take | 9 selah moments stock—to face the reality of where we find ourselves, to hear the accusations and murmurs against us, and to allow ourselves to feel all the emotions that accompany that. However, it doesn’t invite us to stop there. As Charles Spurgeon writes, “His [David’s] faith does not attempt to underestimate the number or wisdom of his enemies. He numbers them but his fear is of the Lord.” David knew that no matter what his life looked like, God was still for him. And so after he has faced the reality of his situation, he turns his attention to what I like to call the ‘But God truth.’ Yes, he was surrounded, but he wasn’t surrounded solely by enemies, he was first and foremost surrounded and shielded by God. Yes, he had been rejected and betrayed by those he loved and trusted, but God was drawing him to Himself. Yes, he had lost his throne, but God was giving him His glory. And yes, there were reasons to be downcast and ashamed, but God was lifting his head high. So while others lifted their voices against David, David chose to lift his voice to the Lord, confident that He would answer his cry for help. And he allowed himself once again to pause and to Selah—this time in the truth of who God is and His heart towards David. Some believe that in addition to the traditionally held interpretation of the word Selah as a pause, that it could also mean: to lift up the strain; sing more loudly; pitch the tune upon a higher key; there is nobler matter to come, therefore retune your harp. Pausing offers us a unique opportunity to retune our hearts and to adjust our perspective. As David fixed his eyes back on who God was, peace replaced his anxiety. He was able to lie down and sleep in the midst of this battle. He was able to keep going—to keep waking up to face each new day because the Lord sustained him (v. 5). David looked to God to define his identity and value. He 10 | THE JOYFUL LIFE CO. looked to God for the strength to persevere and he looked to God and not man for deliverance. So as he numbered his enemy, he chose faith over fear. He rejected the lie that God would not save him and stood firm on the truth that God was His deliverer. David found rest as he paused to recalibrate his heart—as he paused to consider the magnitude of all that God is—and so can we. Respond Take some time to Selah and take stock of your own current reality. What burdens and/or hurts and disappointments do you need to acknowledge and entrust to God today? Lift your voice and share these with Him, confident that He hears and He answers. | 11 selah moments Read v. 3. What is the ‘But God’ truth that God is inviting you to hear today? Record the names and attributes of God in this Psalm in the ‘Names of God’ list on page 79. Choose one to ponder and worship God with today. Father, I thank You that You are my shield. That no matter what I have done or what is happening to me, You draw me close and You surround me with Your presence. Thank You for sustaining me and giving me the strength I need to face today. I choose to Selah at this moment, to pause and remember the truth of who You are and all You have promised. I acknowledge that You alone are my Savior. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 12 | THE JOYFUL LIFE CO. day two A Spacious Pause | 13 selah moments Read Psalm 4. The Selah pauses occur after vv. 2 and 4. Consider v. 4 in the KJV: Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. (v. 4 KJV) Study Note: Like Psalm 3, Psalm 4 is a personal lament of David and widely believed to also be about Absalom’s rebellion. Psalm 3 is often referred to as a morning psalm whereas this psalm is written for the evening. Its title provides the first mention in the Psalms of the ‘Chief Musician.’ The functions of this role are recorded for us in 1 Chronicles 6:31-32; 15:16-22, and 25:1-7. The title and instructions to the Chief Musician that this psalm was to be accompanied by stringed instruments, reminds us that even our seasons of distress and discomfort can be turned into a thing of beauty when we choose to worship. This Psalm also includes the only reference in the Psalms to the Lord as ‘God of my righteousness’ (v.1). This name spoke not only of God’s righteousness but was also a reminder that David’s righteousness came from God. It was a statement of confidence; David understood that even though these events were a direct consequence of his sin, he had been forgiven and made right with God and could therefore still expect God to work on his behalf. Reflect With night comes an inevitable pause. Activity ceases, and in the stillness, we often find that we can no longer keep our thoughts, feelings, and anxieties, at bay.
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