Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Devotional 123 - January Interlude

Psalm 3: 8 Victory comes from You... Your blessings rest on Your people.  Selah (Interlude)

 Psalm 24: 10 Who is the King of glory? The Lord Almighty - He is the King of glory.  Selah

 Psalm 32: 7 For You are my hiding place; You protect me from trouble. You surround me with
 songs of victory.  Selah (Interlude)

ʺThe moment we set ourselves to be quiet and to seek our God in stillness, there is a clamor about us; we remember things we should do, or have forgotten to do; we are disturbed in a hundred ways - anything to break into that Selah.ʺ Amy Carmichael  - Missionary to India

Some commentators on the meaning of Selah, used frequently in the Psalm, say it means to pause and think about. Others say it means praise. Still others have declared it a musical interlude. Whatever the exact use of Selah is, we can be sure God wants us to consider deeply what we have just read in the precious scriptures. Take time to think about and look at Jesus. Take time to praise His name by declaring His goodness and beauty. Sing to Him.

To be sure January for me needs this reminder. No matter how hard I prepare my heart, I always feel a little down when l begin to put away the Christmas decorations. Christmas is over. The excitement of extra family time, extra baking and eating, extra gift giving and receiving... over.

But joy upon joy, the time with Jesus is never over. Time to pause in His Word, to reflect on the great privilege to be in a relationship with the King of kings and the Lord of lords. In the verses above we can pause and praise God for victories, for rest, for protection.

Let us commit ourselves to be quiet and seek our God in stillness. Let us have a daily Selah, a pause, a praise, an interlude.... everyday. It will be our ʺJanuary joyʺ to have a ʺJanuary interludeʺ.

ʺLet us then fill our pauses with praise,... pure adoration, the loving worship of the grateful heart.ʺ 
Amy Carmichael Thou Givest... They Gather