A String of Selah Pearls - Psalm 49:14-15

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 49:14-15 “Like sheep they are destined for the grave, and death will feed on them. The upright will rule over them in the morning; their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions. But God will redeem my soul from the grave; he will surely take me to himself. Selah.”

Meditation:

This pearl repeats the futility of focusing on temporal things. Those “mansions” are all-too-soon enjoyed by other princes, the former residents rotting in the grave, like beasts of the field.

Aunt Virginia lived a modest life, but died a peaceful death. Having placed her faith in a trustworthy God, she had complete confidence in her eternal living arrangements. Yes, she suffered. Yes, we wept. But we endured our night of weeping knowing that joy was just around the bend.

A new day dawns for those who die in Christ. The King will say to them, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.”

What a day of rejoicing that will be . . . for some people. I can almost see Auntie, passing through the gates, eyes wide with amazement. “Oh, my! Oh, my!”

SELAH

Look up: Psalm 110; 30:5; 130:5-6; 2 Corinthians 5:8;

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Luke 19:12-26; Matthew 25:31-34

A String of Selah Pearls - Psalm 49:12-13

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 49:12-13 “But man, despite his riches, does not endure; he is like the beasts that perish. This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings. Selah.”

Meditation:

Isn’t it easy, and oh-so-tempting, to buy into the world’s thinking that it’s all about us and it’s all about now. “He who has the most toys wins.” We’re intrigued by “self-made” people who seem to rise above their circumstances and become powerful icons and gurus of their day. They appear invincible, almost immortal.

And yet, weekly in Time and other news magazines we read of their deaths. In a short while, they’ll be mostly forgotten . . . like the beasts that perish. Similarly, those who sought them out, fawned over them, paid them tribute, will return to ashes.

Yogi Berra once said, “It ain’t over till it’s over.” But the truth is, it’s over pretty quickly, and then it’s too late. This pearl presents us with a megadose of reality.

SELAH

Look up: Psalm 52:7; Hebrews 9:27

A String of Selah Pearls - Psalm 48:8

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 48:8 “As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD Almighty, in the city of our God: God makes her secure forever. Selah.”

Meditation:

“Jerusalem, the Holy City!” “Next year in Jerusalem!” “If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill.” When was ever a city so beloved as Jerusalem by the people of Israel? And why is that? Because it is the city God himself chose to love, the city of the Great King, the city of our God.

Revelation 21 speaks of another city, one that is beloved and open to people of all nations, the new Jerusalem. Everyone who loves the Son of God is on a pilgrimage to that holy place. In verse 3 the apostle John hears a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God."

As we have heard about the new Jerusalem, so have we seen it, by faith. One day we will see it for real. Stepping into a land flowing with grace and light, we will see more than the city of the Great King. We will see the Great King’s radiant face . . . .

SELAH

Look up: Psalm 137:5; 48:2,8; John 6:37; 14:1-3; Revelation 3:12

A String of Pearls - Psalm 46:7,11

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 46:7, 11 “The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah.”

Meditation:

Have you ever felt small and alone? At times I have felt as insignificant as a speck of dust, that no one would miss me if I dropped off the face of the earth.

Jacob may have felt that way when he left his home after a lifetime of deception and fraud. Off into the desert he fled from his angry brother Esau, fled for his life! Bedding down for the night, head on a stone pillow, Jacob had time to consider the blessing he had stolen from his brother, to consider what a wretch he had been. But as sleep overcame him, he dreamed of angels ascending and descending a stairway. Above the stairway stood the LORD.

The LORD told Jacob that he would bless him with land and descendants to cover it like the dust of the earth. Suddenly, that speck of dust, alone and wretched, was promised a future and an inheritance. Did he deserve such a blessing? No. Hadn’t he just stolen a much smaller blessing from his brother? Yes. Yet God promised to protect Jacob and became a fortress for his people.

God chooses to bless whom he will, even those who have strayed far from home, who are fleeing past mistakes, who rest their heads in stony places, who feel small and alone. Why? God’s view is eternal: he sees the big picture. He has a Master Plan.

SELAH

Look up: Genesis 28:10-15; Psalm 19:1; Jeremiah 29:11.

A String of Selah Pearls - Psalm 46:1-3

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 46:1-3 “God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah.”

Meditation:

It often takes something much less significant than earthquakes or floods to cause me to tremble with fear. Sometimes the smallest thing can catch me off guard, causing me to panic. Can you relate to that? Large or small, fears can cripple us.

What would happen if we faced our fears (maybe stomped on them a bit!) and discovered that most are mere shadows. Think how our lives would change if, instead of cowering in fear, we would turn to God, our ever present help in trouble—even imagined trouble! We would know a freedom we hadn’t experienced before.

When fears hold you back, picture yourself in Psalm 46:1-3. Mountains! They’re shaking, swelling, and falling into the middle of a raging sea. Waves! They’re crashing and foaming—the roar must be deafening. Dust and ash blacken the skies and smudge your face. You are in the midst of it, yet you are not afraid. God is with you. You are sitting in the palm of his hand. Nothing can harm you there.

And nothing can harm you here . . . .

SELAH

Look up: Psalm 91:4-7; Romans 8:38-39

A String of Selah Pearls - Psalm 44:6-8

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 44:6-8 “I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory; but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame. In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever. Selah.”

Meditation:

Does anyone not have an enemy? For years, I thought I didn’t. Then the “neighbor from _ _ _ _” moved in next door and, voila, I had an enemy. Kindness failed. I didn’t know what to do.

What were the problems? Oh, nothing much. Just regular attacks by his dog (that’s what started it). Tires flattened. Verbal abuse. Threats to our daughters.

I didn’t want revenge, just wanted the harassment to stop. I contacted lawyers, grievance committees, reconciliation experts. Nothing could be done; the offenses were just (barely) inside the law or could not be proven. My “bow” and my “sword” were useless.

“Lord,” I cried. “Help me!”

“It’s about time you asked,” He must have said. Next thing I knew, there was a moving van in front of the neighbor’s house . . . and then, he was gone. Praise God, he was gone. In God, I make this boast: He kept me from returning evil for evil. I like to think that the neighbor noticed that and, hopefully, became ashamed of his actions, hopefully repented. Someday, I’ll know.

SELAH

Look up: Psalm 20:7; 15:1-3; 37:10-11; Romans 12:17