Make a point to pause...

I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that You have done; I ponder the work of Your hands. I stretch out my hands to You; my soul thirsts for You like a parched land. Selah  - Psalm 143:5-6

Remember that initial taste of grace? Can you recall the sweetness of that first sip? Though your cup now runs over with great favor, do you ever think back to those earliest hours, when His loving kindness was brand new to the soul?

Does it still blow your mind to consider how mercifully He has dealt with His people from Genesis until now? He makes promises and fulfills them. He stays faithful and true, despite our wandering eyes. Time after time He delivers us from the clutches of death, giving us a hope that we in no way deserve. Is that still an incredible thought?

What about His common grace to mankind? Though many deny His existence, spitting in the very face of their Creator, He waits, leaving enough knowledge of Himself within the created universe and the human conscious to render each man guilty, without excuse. In a single word He could crush and annihilate, justly pouring out His righteous wrath upon disobedient idolaters, but He remains patient and long-suffering. 

Do you often mediate on all that He has done? That is, do you regularly stand in awe while you consider the small glimpses He's allowed you to see? Certainly, no finite mind can fathom the enormity and intricacy of His works - all that’s crafted by the hands of the eternal, immortal, invisible King of the ages. Yet what do we do with what we are able to see? Though the fullness of all He’s done is incomprehensible, is it not simultaneously praiseworthy? This was David's approach. "I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that You have done; I ponder the work of Your hands (v.5)."

And notice how his contemplation leads to trust, worship, and an ultimate longing for the Lord. The psalmist says, "I stretch out my hands to You (v.6)." As he considers God's faithful provision, His unmerited grace and favor, He is filled with gratitude. He worships. He rejoices from the innermost part of his being. And like the desperation of one deserted in the wilderness, he desires the quenching satisfaction that can only come from the Lord. He longs for God; He yearns for the presence of his Heavenly Father.

And finally, a word follows that is not to be overlooked, "Selah." Traditionally, most have agreed that this term is meant to encourage a pause. Selah, stop and reflect; take time to consider what you just heard; think about the words you just sang. Ponder, wonder, mediate upon your God.

I believe we would do well to do the same. Might we follow King David’s example and consider the works of the Lord. As much grace as he was given, have we not been blessed with more? We wait not for the appearance of the Messiah, we long for His return! We read and observe how the prophecies of the psalms were fulfilled in the cross. Yes, we have a much more privileged historical point of view. Will our worshipful reflection be indicative of such grace? May we think on Him, be thankful for Him, and thirst for fellowship with Him. For our joy and His glory, might we make a point to pause.

Matt Fowler
Associate Pastor of Missions & Students
matt@nbchurch.info
@fattmowler