Selah: Pause, Reflect, and Praise

I love being hit by the word of God. Some go to church and play dodge ball; believing the objective is not to be hit by the word. The word has revealed to me that in my efforts to progress in every area of my life, I rarely if ever, take a moment to pause and acknowledge what God has done. I thank Him frequently, but it is on the way to accomplishing the next feat. There is significance to the pause. After some Psalms you will find the word Selah, which means to pause reflect and lift up and exalt.

The pause gives time for reflection, assessment, and helps determine the next course of action. It is so unfortunate I am getting this lesson during the latter stage of my 20’s which is a time period filled with pursuit and positioning. I received a picture (thanks Kaycee) from my High school prom, as I looked back at the picture; I recognized how special that time was. I thought about the relationships that were formed and those that have persisted. I took for granted walking through the halls, spending time with friends during lunch, and extra curricular activities. At the time, my only thoughts were about graduation. I never paused to think that later in life, I am going to reminisce on these days, so instead of complaining I am should enjoy them.

I took some UC Berkeley students to lunch on Friday, and I didn’t recognize how much I enjoyed my undergraduate experience until years latter while visiting the campus. I was again so anxious to graduate I didn’t recognize how beneficial that time period was to my life. Prophetess Janet Jackson was right, “You don’t know what you’ve got till its gone” It is amazing how I long for what was right in front of me, and it isn’t until what was in front of me is gone that I appreciate what I had. This trend must stop. How tragic would it be to miss life, because you were too busy living it?

During the creation process, God would pause and say, “It was good.” Upon the culmination of the creation process on the 7th day He paused and rested. In the Old Testament the Sabbath was established, it was a day of rest where no work was to be done. Jesus brought rest and became the Lord of the Sabbath, however while the day is fulfilled through Jesus, the principal of rest yet remains. When David was bringing the Ark of the Covenant from the house of Obededom to the City of David, after 6 paces, he stopped offered sacrifice, praised, and danced before the Lord.

It has been longer than 6 paces, but it is time for me to stop and praise. Lord, I often pause and complain, but forgive me for not pausing and praising. Thank you for where I am right now. Thank you for spiritual growth that I didn’t know was possible. Thank you for giving me a job where this week I witnessed, reclusive young people transform to being able to share about being beaten with extension cords, generational anger issues, addictions to cocaine and heroin, miscarriages during teenage pregnancy, victims of gang violence, and come to me after and say, “You changed my life.” Some people go their entire life and never hear those words. Thank you for revealing my purpose and allowing me to be immersed in my purpose for being here. Thank you for the opportunities to be used by you and to share your word. I refuse to look back years later on today, and miss how great the life is that I have currently because I was focusing on problems or exclusively looking to the future.