Psa 61:4; “I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever; I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.”
Do you remember the story you heard as child about the Hare and the Tortoise? How the hare, being one of the fastest animals around would win every race he partook in? If you do, then you’ll remember that one day the hare challenged the other animals to a race. It seemed like no one was going to step forward until the tortoise says, “I will race you.” Immediately there is laughter, since all the other animals thought that this was a joke. (After all, what chance would a tortoise have against a hare?) The hare, full of self belief in his own speed, takes a nap half way through the race and awakens to see that the tortoise’s slow and steady pace has him at he finish line. Much to his horror the hare can not make up the distance in time and loses the race.
This fable from Aesop resonates so deeply with me for many reasons; one of which, is that the narrative taps into the human condition of “Just get it done.” God has created us in such a marvelous way that through our giftings and talents which He has bestowed upon us, we can accomplish so much. The potential danger with this though, is that there is a fine line between accomplishing something in our own strength and on our own timeline versus accomplishing something in God’s strength and on His timeline. We have been brought up mainly under the banner of, “You have got to keep increasing and moving forwards, never stop.” This prevailing cultural behavior makes it very difficult for anyone to wait upon anything anymore. Instead the “Ain’t Nobody Got Time For That” attitude sweeps across a hasty generation that often times has embraced a “Ready, Fire and then Aim” policy.
Waiting implies a level of trust. For followers of Christ this equates to holding fast to what the the psalmist, David says, “I will trust in the covert of they wings. Selah.” Do we trust Him enough to simply “just be”, in spite of our obvious abilities to “Just get it done.?” With each passing generation I am convinced that we will find it harder to wait for something. Take the very scripture I have referenced today. It finishes with the word “Selah” (סֶלֶה). This word is a Hebrew musical term that at it’s core, means to “wait and pause”. In essence, to take time to reflect on what you have just heard. It’s a spiritual rumination that carries a sense of exaltation. Pause on that thought for a moment….. It means, that to have a “Selah” moment, is to exalt and lift up glory to God. God wants us to pause and think. And yet, we see that many of the newer translations of the bible (which shall goes nameless for this post) have omitted the term “Selah” altogether. Now, I can’t speak with full authority on why this is happening, but I put it to you to consider that it is just another “sign of the times”, that if allowed to go unchecked, this notion of not needing to wait or pause will start to have a major affect inside the church walls.
The world’s economy says that a “plateau” is a bad thing and that if you are not moving onwards and upwards you are going to be left behind. In God’s economy that is a lie. What you gain through these times of “plateau” (a Selah moment in the Christian life) is of such high value, that you cannot put a price on it. Never despise a “plateau” from God. It could be the one thing that is about to catapult you into a new season.
Selah…
davidgoundry 