Take Heart~~SELAH

About a week ago I started reading through Charles Spurgeon’s Treasury of David (even though there are 1528 pages, and I am only on page 15!).  

 

Today, a passage in Psalm 3 struck me. It actually struck me so hard that, as I read verse 3, I 'added words' in my head. This realization left me to say, “wow~that’s good stuff!”

Here is what led to that ‘added phrase’.

Spurgeon used the opportunity from verse 2 to introduce the word SELAH (I have a friend who named their daughter Selah. What a beautiful name when you consider the following description). He defines SELAH as a musical pause to prepare the voice or the instrument for a change in pitch or volume to introduce a dramatic theme or conclusion. I think of it as the high soprano taking that deep breath before ‘belting’ out the high note at the climax of the cantata! 

Spurgeon states that with a SELAH "there is always something excellent where we are required to rest, pause, meditate, or lift our hearts in grateful song." He encourages us to read and contemplate on what comes just before and just after the SELAH. 

So, I went back and reread the end of verse two and the beginning of verse three. In verses 1-2, David laments his troubles as he runs from his son, Abasolm. He admits that his enemies are taunting that even His God has turned His back on David and can’t/won’t help him now! David probably feels this as well as he recalls his sins against Uriah and Bathsheba (a Spurgeon note).

Then verse three follows the SELAH: But…..You, Lord….

At this point, I wrote in the margin~ But “no, they’ve got it all wrong”.  Actually I wrote “NOO-ooo, they’ve got it all wrong!” Can’t you just see David rising, placing one hand on his hip and shaking the pointer finger of the other hand and saying, “They may say you have turned against me too, but NOO-ooo, they have it all wrong, because you O, Lord are my shield, you lift up my head, and you hear my voice from your Holy hill!

Wow! Can’t you just hear (and feel) the confidence return? 

Spurgeon explains that the word shield is actually from the word buckler, which protects you from all sides. 

Are you in a tough spot? Going through tough circumstances? Feel like everything and everyone is caving in around you? Feel like even God has forsaken you? Take heart~~~

Take that deep breath and belt it out~~NOOO, I’ve got it all wrong! 

He is my shield (my buckler!)

          He will lift my head

                   He will hear my voice from His holy hill

Get out of the pit and move forward~~~The sovereign creator God has your back!

SELAH,

Debbie

...And All That in Them Is

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth~~Genesis 1:1.

It all began with His spoken word, "Let there be light”, followed by 5 more days of  ‘Let there be...’. It was concluded with that special phrase, “and, behold, it was very good!”

My husband and I took a 17 day vacation at the end of June. Our destination was the Portland/Vancouver area to visit family. Our route, however, was to see all we could along the way!

We ‘took’ the grandkids along as the Three Flat Stow-aways (like a Flat Stanley project) and took several (?), let’s try many, pictures with’ them’ at our different stops. That just made it all that much more fun and exciting!

We did Sioux Falls, which has a lovely little park in town that actually houses, the Falls of Sioux Falls. 

We did the Badlands (One of Greg’s favorite parts of the trip) and yes, Wall Drug. We even made a quick stop at the Corn Palace~for the kids!

We did Mt. Rushmore and drove the Scenic By-Way around the area. If you ever head up that way, the Scenic By-Way is WORTH your time!

Then we headed towards Yellowstone by way of the Bighorn National Forest.  This route may have taken longer than the so-called shortcut, but, WOW~it was worth the extra time! 

We spent two days in Yellowstone, plus the third day driving through Yellowstone to head towards Washington. One could not enjoy the full effects of Yellowstone with any less time than that! Oh, my goodness!!!

The trip across Montana and Idaho was beautiful.  Big Blue Skies and Wide Open Spaces-not to mention the BIG, TALL mountains!

Interstate 80 along the Columbia River in Oregon~~~WOW! Simply gorgeous! 

The forests and sights of Eastern Oregon/Washington were lovely! But, did you realize that only a small part of Oregon is forest? Western Oregon is a beautiful canyon surrounded by desert and mountains.

The Rocky Mountains through Utah and Colorado were just more icing on the cake!

To sum it all up would have to be the word~

BREATH-TAKING!!!

 I know that if I had counted, I would have had said the word “WOW” a million times on the entire trip!

So do you think Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:31 popped through my mind all throughout the trip? Nope! Actually, Exodus 20:11 was the first verse to come to mind.

For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and 

ALL THAT IN THEM IS….

There is something about the awkward grammar of the King James Version that causes the phrase, “..and all that in them is” to stand out. THAT is what I thought of regularly as I viewed the many different aspects of God’s power and creation while on our 35^th anniversary tour of the western United States.

Oh, and seeing our daughter and son-in-law~~~that was pretty awesome too! (slight understatement!)

I considered posting a couple of pictures, but honestly, couldn’t decide on just a couple! Maybe later I will post one every once in a while. I even tried to pick just one to capture the whole thought—Yeah, right!

And, behold, it was VERY GOOD!

Debbie