For the first part of my life I was quite the pessimist. If I knew I was about to be involved in a certain activity, I would sit for hours sometimes rehearsing what could go wrong. I would allow my mind to fixate on and entertain these thoughts. This habit caused me much inner turmoil and anxiety. After a while, I became fearful that negative things were always lurking, waiting for me at every corner. This terrible habit even caused me to back out prematurely from certain situations out of fear of failure. More so than not, each situation had a positive outcome. One day, something clicked for me. I was always waiting for the other shoe to drop. One day the Holy Spirit reminded me, God is the author of my story. The cool thing about being an author is the ability to write the story as you [the author] see fit. Life is chocked full of unexpected twists and turns. Many things that happen are absolutely beyond our control. The only control we have is how we’ll respond. Being an author is a powerful job. I have learned the importance of writing my plans in pencil and handing the eraser to God. The author gets to choose how things will end…..and He’s already promised His children the victory!
Psalms 3 finds King David being hunted by his son Absalom. No doubt David’s heart was breaking to know his own flesh and blood was there to kill him so he could overtake the throne. Talk about feeling betrayed! Verse 1 & 2 state, “Lord, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me. Many are they who say of me, “There is no help for him in God.” Selah.” We tend to read over the “Selah,” but that was an important moment. The Amplified Bible defines Selah as meaning, “A pause…to think of that [that = what has just been said, has just happened, or the current state of a situation]. Selah was a time to pause and reflect. After his initial time of reflection, David states in verses 3-8, “But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head. I cried to the Lord with my voice, and He heard me from His holy hill. Selah. I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people Who have set themselves against me all around. Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone; You have broken the teeth of the ungodly. Salvation belongs to the Lord. Your blessing is upon Your people. Selah” Verse 1 & 2 weren’t an admission of defeat, rather a statement of his current reality. But after he stopped to reflect [Selah], he was reminded how God had been his shield when he needed protection. He began to proclaim such in verse 3 and beyond. Maybe he was remembering his fight with the bear, the lion, or even Goliath. Even though he knew he was in trouble, he was able to lay down to rest knowing God was taking care of him. His past experiences led him to trust his/our Heavenly Father.
Closing remarks and encouragement: It’s hard to be pessimistic when you Selah (pause and reflect) on what God has brought you through. Realizing that God is the ultimate author of our story, and knowing His desire is to see His children succeed, should make us all a lot more optimistic. Even if we’re in the worst battles of our lives, just take a Selah moment. Just pause and reflect. If He did it before, you know He’ll do it again! Take a breath, my friends. Just because we can’t see it happening with our own physical eyes doesn’t mean He isn’t already working things out for us! Maybe it’s time for a Selah!