Yesterday, I wrote about the miracle of quiet time—of simply walking with God and savoring a really good conversation, and of His delight in hearing our voice. Today, I think I’ll share another miracle, if you don’t mind. It’s the discovery that awaits when we pause in His presence.
Now, I didn’t come up with that phrase. You’ll find it often in the Psalms. Selah is an interlude placed in the lyrics of the songs written by David and other wise souls. Simply put, it means “pause in His presence.” It means to stop, breathe, observe, consider, reflect, take note.
Psalm 46:10 is a scripture most Church-going folks know by heart. “Be still and know that I am God.” By itself, it paints a pastoral picture of blue skies, birdsong, quiet streams. But Psalm 46 is anything but peaceful. There is bloodshed, and there is war. Nations rage like gale-force winds. Mountains quake and forests burn. And there, in the midst of it all, God speaks. He doesn’t say, “Escape the chaos so I can talk to you.” Instead, He has the audacity to say, “Calm down. Stop the spiraling. Watch Me be God. Let me show you want it means to quiet time.”
The same God who quiets nations and quiets storms invites us to watch Him quiet time right where we are. Yes, quiet time is the moment in the midst of all the moments that rage around us where we direct our face toward the face of a Father who stands ready to reveal his strength, His power, His love, His grace to and through us. Quiet time is our Selah, our interlude, our pause in His presence. Quiet time is His gift in return.
Even today. Even right now. For us, love. For us.