Meanings: Selah

This is a Hebrew word you will find scattered about in the Psalms. Because the Psalms were songs accompanied by musical instruments, it is thought to be a musical mark that notes a break in the song, or to mark a musical interlude. But it is more than that. It is also popularly believed to mean, “Stop and listen.”

To me the word is a reminder to contemplate God’s word. Rather than scanning the Scriptures and calling them read, I try to read smaller portions at a time. I then stop and I think about what I have just read and I pray for understanding.

Our faith is not a thing to be rushed through. It is a new way of life that is set apart from the frenzy of the world. It is an inclusion of God. And God is timeless. Selah.

Faith Thinking

A Thoughtful Life – Part 1

This week in a short series I will describe the “thoughtful life” that we are asked to live as Christians, what it’s all about, and why it’s so important.

The thoughtful life, or the thought-filled life, enables us to experience all of God’s blessings because it opens our world to something greater than ourselves. Being thoughtful means we are informed, aware, and self controlled. Being thoughtful reminds us who we are and to whom we belong.

Part of this life - and what today’s post is about – is the necessity to think about our faith. It’s not enough to simply accept Christ into our lives one moment and then forget Him the next.

Any great artist must work at their craft. Any great thinker must exercise their mind. Any great relationship must be nurtured. To do our best, we must work at what we do and maintain what we have.

And so we need to learn all we can about our Lord and our faith. We must think about these things to grow strong so that we aren’t easily turned away. We must think about these things so that we can fully appreciate all that He has given us, all that He means to us.

God is worthy of our thoughts. He is our most precious treasure, now, and forevermore.

Think of that. Think of Him.

Tools to Weed

Winter is approaching here in Australia. We’ve had only two dry days in Sydney since May 17th. That’s a lot of rain. On the weekend my husband and I enjoyed a morning of sunlight (before it rained again). We went into the garden only to discover the weeds had taken over – again.

I’m not a huge fan of weeding. I prefer to do the job when there isn’t a lot to do, when the garden isn’t completely overrun. It’s easier and the sense of satisfaction is rewarding rather than just exhausting.

Weeding is much like maintaining our faith. We need to weed the sin out of our lives. It’s easier when we do it on a regular basis before sin takes hold and overruns us.

And it’s easier when we use the right tools:

God’s word equips us with the protection we need, like gloves that protect us from the thorns.

God’s truth lets us recognise the weeds in our lives so we can pull them out the moment they appear.

God’s salvation gives us the power to change. We are no longer slaves to the weeds.

God’s strength helps us to persevere. Weeding is not a thing that is ever finished. They try to take root in even the best maintained garden.

God’s love is our motivation. Because of God’s love for us we are able to love Him and because of this we want to glorify God with everything we do.

What do most like and/or dislike about weeding?

Finding Satisfaction

Only through God do we find true satisfaction in our lives because He gives us purpose and fulfilment. So, what is satisfaction?

Satisfaction is contentment: being satisfied with everything we have no matter our circumstances. (Philippians 4:12 NIV)

Satisfaction is the absence of fear: we are able to trust God with all aspects of our lives. And in that trust we don’t need to fear anything. (Hebrews 13:6 NIV)

Satisfaction comes from being equipped: The more we learn about God, the more we are prepared to face anything that life throws at us. If we learn His ways then we will respond more in His ways also. And peace will be ours. (Philippians 4:9 NIV)

Satisfaction is dependant on saturation: The more we allow God in our lives the more His power becomes evident and the less likely we will take Him for granted. (Luke 9:23 NIV) 

Satisfaction is dependant on fellowship: Through fellowship we are encouraged, strengthened. We find a sense of belonging in the family of Christ. (Hebrews 3:13 NIV)

What areas in your life do you know your satisfaction takes a hit?

Like Poison or Honey?

Did you know that the poison from an oleander plant is so strong that it can poison a person who simply eats the honey made by bees that have digested oleander nectar? That’s some serious honey.

When we ‘digest’ all the things the world has to offer – gossip, greed, pride – it’s like eating the oleander honey. It becomes poison to the soul that spreads like a disease. It will eat away our love for others. It will corrode our love for God and it will convince us that we don’t need to rely on God.

However, when we ‘digest’ God’s word and make it a part of our lives, then our natural response is to spread the goodness. Not only do we benefit, but everyone around us benefits. Rather than reacting with equal insensitivity when someone wrongs us, we respond instead with love. We stop the poisonous cycle. This is because we have become more open for God to shine through us.

So, fill yourself with God. Embrace His ways. Practise His truths. And share the sweet honey of His salvation.

note: I wrote this as guest poster for Elizabeth Mahlou's Blest Athiest blog. Thanks, Elizabeth, for the privilege.

Faith Exercise

Because I’m a writer I spend a lot of my time sitting in front of the computer. I don’t lead a physically active lifestyle so I’m very conscious of the need to take the time out to exercise. I’m not a great fan of jumping up and down, stressing my knees, or getting all hot and sweaty, but I know ultimately it’s good for me. When I just get on with it and do it I always feel so much better. The blood rushes through my body, my muscles stretch, and the cobwebs in my brain get washed away. I feel more alive. I feel more awake.

The same thing happens when we exercise our faith. Sometimes we may not always want to spend any quiet time with God. We claim we are too busy and don’t have the time to read the scriptures. We rush prayer rather than quietly sitting at God’s feet. But we must make the time. When we exercise our faith muscle, we feel more alive and more awake. The more time we spend with God, the more we learn about Him, the stronger our relationship with Him grows.

So, exercise your faith muscle today and don’t let “daily life” get in the way of life with God.

Once Every 3000 Years

I found a brief article hidden away in a back corner of the local newspaper. After some further research, I thought it was interesting enough to merited a post here.

The article was about the discovery of a rare flower found by a Chinese woman in Lushan Mountain, Jiangxi province, China. It is called the udumbara flower or youtan poluo. According to Buddhist legend it blooms once every 3000 years and supposedly marks the coming of a future king.

Rare and unknown things will almost always have legends and myths surrounding them. This flower is no exception. It is extremely tiny and they grow in white clusters which look very much like the eggs of lacewings.

I don’t know if it is true that this flower blooms so rarely or even if it exists. As Simone Preuss notes in her article I found here, “It is interesting to note, however, that the first sighting of an udumbara flower was in July 1997 at a Buddha statue in a temple in Korea, exactly 3,024 lunar years after Buddhism first emerged.” It is also interesting to note that, according to David Emery “they don't match any known species of plant life…”

Do we find things only when we look for them? Is it about being aware of the possibilities and opening our eyes? Or is it a matter of wanting so desperately for something to be true that we close our eyes to other facts? Or do we even disbelieve because we don’t want it to be true?

For me my faith in God is so much more than simply wanting something to be true. Admittedly I did only look for Him when I became aware of the possibility of Him. I looked for Him because I needed Him. But our Lord asks from us more than blind faith. He asks us to learn of Him. He asks us to think about Him. He asks us to be prepared and aware, and He gave us the scriptures and the Holy Spirit to guide us. He reassures us that He is the way and the truth and the life. (John 14:6)

Be Prepared

When I first became a Christian I was all passion and very little actual knowledge. Then someone asked me why I became a Christian. Well that stumped me. “It’s because Jesus died for me,” I’d say. Then the person would look a little baffled and say, “Yeah but what does that mean?”

I knew in my heart what it meant. I knew that Jesus was Lord in my life. But I was hopeless at expressing myself. I just knew it was right for me and I knew it would be right for them too if only they understood what I understood. The problem was learning to say it in a way that offered confidence and clarity rather than stumbling over vague explanations.

In 1 Peter 3:15 we are told to “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” Not only are we to do this for the people who might ask, but it’s important to do this for ourselves as well. The more we know about our Lord, the deeper our relationship grows.

I remembered hearing something said in a bible study group about a part of my faith I’d never thought about. The person said it with such eloquence and even though it was a thing I already knew in my heart, it made such a difference to me to have it said out loud in easily understood words. It clarified my thoughts. It confirmed my faith. And it gave me a real buzz.

This is why it is important to think about our faith and to be prepared.