Positioned gracefully across the Book of Psalms is a string of seventy-one pearls, lovely beads of wisdom followed by the admonition SELAH which means, “Pause, think on these things, meditate.”

Psalm 9:16 “The LORD is known by his justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. Higgaion.” [Meditation] “Selah.”

Meditation:

The Lord is just and fair in that he has clearly published his list of crimes and punishment. If the wicked suffer loss, it is through their own foolish choices.

In his book The Tender Commandments, Ron Mehl presents the strong case that every law the Lord made for man came from the loving heart of a Father who wanted to protect his children from folly. Moreover, he published the laws far and wide along with the consequences for breaking them.

How much fairer could he have been? Yet, people break God’s laws, and then cry “foul” when they suffer the consequences of their choices. “How could a loving God allow me to suffer in this way?”

Perhaps the better question is, “How could a loving God, who knows I am heading for disaster, just sit back and let me crash?” No, it is God’s loving kindness that reins us in when we are galloping wildly toward destruction.

SELAH

Look up: Exodus 19:3-6; Deuteronomy 30:19; Psalm 107:39-43; Psalm 119: 67-71; Hebrews 12:11; Psalm 32:9.