Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
Psalm 46 is like a precious jewel in the ‘treasure box of Psalms’. There have been songs, poems and hymns written based on Psalm 46:10. Psalm 46 can be divided into three excerpts. The first three verses talk about the chaos; a physical or an emotional landslide, a squall or a tempest, tsunami or uncertainty. Then, there is a word that is used about 74 times in the Bible – “Selah”. Selah is a prompt to make a conscious pause to stop and ponder on God’s promises. Selah appears after the 3rd verse, 7th verse and the 11th verse. All that we have believed and the foundation of our faith can be washed away if we do not pause and ponder on God’s Word during troubled times. After a conscious ‘Selah’ at verse 3, verses 4 to 7 talk about the serenity and confidence that the presence of the Lord brings. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress – Selah (vs 7). Under pressure find a quiet corner to take a ‘Selah-break’. Sit silently, quieten your soul, and recollect and ruminate on God’s promises. God’s Word is more powerful than the pejorative words of the enemy, the slander of a colleague or derogation of your boss. Verses 8 to 11 are bold proclamations of the mighty works of God. There will be no boldness in our confessions and courage in our heart if we don’t take ‘Selah breaks’ in a catastrophe.
A study conducted in 2006, says “silence may help decrease stress levels by lowering cortisol-adrenaline levels. It is found that just 2 minutes of silence can be more calming than listening to relaxing music”. Scientists are talking about “Selah-breaks” in scientific language as 2 minutes calming-breaks.
Selah breaks:
1. Change: Changes can trigger stress. During the first year of the pandemic, the global anxiety and depression rocketed by almost 25%. Not many people have the mindset to cope with change. The ‘unknowns’ disrupts our peace, however, change is inevitable. Take a ‘Selah-break’ when thrown into an unexpected change and meditate on God’s promises. Many times, the change is an integral part of God’s plan and God’s promises will see us through the change successfully.
2. Challenges: Challenges can be overwhelming and overpowering. Take ‘Selah-breaks’. Don’t rush into it. Breakdown the challenge into palatable capsules, if not it will choke our throat. New challenges are good for growth and to keep our brain sharp. Our brains will rust without challenge. ‘Selah-breaks’ will help us to decipher the challenge and crunch it.
3. Courageous: Courage is hidden in the ‘Selah-breaks’. The way we look at a change, chaos or challenge will change after the Selah-break. Our faith will be fortified as we meditate on the faithfulness of God. God’s Word will inundate us with divine courage.
Take Selah-breaks when under pressure and be refreshed with divine insight and courage.
Psalm 3:4 I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and He heard me out of His holy hill. Selah.
Prayer: God of Peace, teach me the art of taking ‘Selah-breaks’ to still my soul. Courage and confidence are the secret of stillness. Amen
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