“I call out to the Lord, and he answers me from his
holy mountain.
Selah.
I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.” Psalm 3:4-5
Today, I had the privilege of
spending a day with my fellow women leaders of our church for a retreat.
Eleven dynamic women.
So uniquely gifted to lead
powerfully and passionately in the areas they are called.
Eleven dynamic women.
So beautifully broken.
It wasn't long after arriving
that I realized how providential the timing of this meeting was.
If there was one common
denominator (other than our love for God, of course), each of our lives has
gone through deep or challenging valleys very recently.
After we heard insights about the Holy Spirit
and lovingly shared our journeys, the most powerful part came when we were
asked to find a quiet place.
And do what? Hear from God.
That’s it. Just hear what He has to say…
Sounds simple, but we rarely do
it.
In the midst of our struggles each
lady has pressed through and remained dutiful to our callings. We pray, at times we cry out, we confess
victory and we keep marching through enemy territory….
But now it was time to pause.
Now it was time to listen.
In the scripture, the word Selah
is used over seventy times in the Psalms.
While there are many different interpretations, most believe that it is
the combination of two Hebrew words, “salah” (to pause) and “salal” (to lift
up). This is the moment in the Psalms
(songs) that the singing was silenced to rest, reflect, and let the instruments
rise up and be heard alone.
Today was my Selah.
As I curled up on the couch
during our time alone, I could feel the Holy Spirit sit right next to me (or maybe He had been there waiting for me all along). And, rather than jumping into my “conversation”
with God - which is often more one-sided than I want to admit – I sat, listened,
wrote, and allowed Him to fill me with His truth. About me.
About my ministry. About who He
is for me in this moment of my life.
I concluded this time feeling
refreshed. There was a restoration.
That’s why we need these
times.
Yesterday I wrote about wanting God near. But what do we want Him near
for?
Usually to listen to us.
We want answers, but we never
stop talking. It’s uncomfortable for us. We like busyness and noise, don’t we?
When is the last time you've allowed Him near on His terms?
His nearness was so tangible for
me today.
But, I had to find Him in my
silence.
Today I urge you to find your Selah.
Still your mind.
Quiet your petitions.
And let the instrument of God’s
voice, the Holy Spirit, arise.
You will be in awe by what you
hear.
Suggested Reading: Connecting with God: A Spiritual Formation Guide, A Renovare
Resource
Let’s pray: Father, I pray that I might be open to hear
Your voice. May I be eager to hear what You have to say to me through my time
of meditation and Your written Word. I
pray that I won’t turn away from Your truth, but I listen intently to what You
are saying. At times it appears that the
voices of this world and my own thinking crowd out Your still voice. Help me to discern those voices from Your
wisdom. Open my spiritual ears. Quiet
my mind and help me to hear You calling me by name. And when you speak Lord, let
me be willing to hear those words and obey them. I am Yours, both now and forever. In Jesus’
name, Amen.
Now playing: No song......you're supposed to be listening, remember? :)
To read this or earlier Lenten devotionals, please visit here.
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