Selah

Between Sunset and the Dawn

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments 
Between sunset and the dawn
When even the eagles sleep
While the owl is on patrol
And the deer to thickets creep

Deep in the mangrove marshes
Robins rest and fold their wings
Then the earth is listening
To creation as it sings

So why do I with wonder
Lie awake for half the night
And forget my Lord’s promise
To watch till morning light

In stillness I can hear him
Who in the silence rests
His voice commanding daybreak
Now calls me loved and blessed!




You are my hiding place;
You shall preserve me from trouble;
You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah
Psalm 32:7 NKJV

Between Sunset and the Dawn
By Peter Caligiuri
Copyright © 2026
All rights reserved

Refuge

/ pastorpete51 / 4 Comments

One often overlooked word from the Psalms is the word Selah. While Selah indicates a pause, theologians debate it’s exact purpose. As a lifelong musician, I equate that word with a full rest on my song sheet. But if you think of a rest as the place where the music stops, then you are missing out. Instead that rest is a place of refuge for our hearts, where the full impact of what has been previously played can be enjoyed without interruption. In today’s verse, we find that God has promised to be our refuge. He is our place of rest, where all that has happened before now plays quietly in our hearts  In His refuge we may still not know what the final movements in His symphony may be, but we can know that He has redeemed us and written us into His eternal plan!

Stop and Think About It

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment 
"To the choirmaster, of the sons of Korah, according to Alamoth, a song. 
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1 ESV

We don’t know what kind of trouble David faced when he wrote Psalm 46, but it is interesting that instead of trying to figure out his own solution, he decides to write a song. In the first line of his lyrics, he starts to remind himself of who God is and how He always comes through to help.

The intriguing feature of David’s song is that he divides it into three parts, and at the end of each one he writes the word, “Selah”, which can be roughly translated, “Stop and think about that for a moment.” David wants us to remember that when we face dangers and difficulties, instead of panicking, and running away, or running to the wrong place for help, we need to stop and think about God’s faithfulness, power and love. Now, we don’t necessarily need to write ourselves a song like David did to remind ourselves of God’s faithfulness, though that’s not a bad idea. Just begin singing the words of Psalm 46 in your heart. God doesn’t care what melody you use. Then, no matter what happens, remember that we can always trust in Jesus. So stop what you’re doing and think about that!