A New Song
By Shauna Leis
“I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.”
Psalm 40:1-3
One of my favorite things to do is to sing and listen to music. I cannot do it well, but I do so enjoy it, especially when they are praises to my King. There are times in my life that I just cannot contain my joy for Him any longer, and I have to burst out in praise of Him and what he has done in my life. In church on Sunday morning, when the praise team is going, the music is blaring, and they start singing “In Christ Alone”, I can hardly contain myself to stay in my aisle and not run up onto thatstage. My arms immediately go up and I sing to my God with all that my human heart and mouth can offer.
So, how awesome it was to me to find this verse of scripture so many years ago and what it now represents to my life. God did not just say that He would give you a new chorus or a new verse to an old song. He clearly said He will give us a new song. The whole entire thing – verses, chorus, words, everything! Wow! There are so many times in my life that I find myself needing a whole new song. Not just a new verse to the same old song, but a new direction, a new way of thinking. Sometimes the busyness of life, or that person that rubs you just the wrong way, or cancer, or disease, or so many things, will try to sink us into the slimy pit of muck and mire. But, praise to our Lord God, as He pulls us up out of that pit and sets our feet on the Rock.
I was investigating the original uses of the words “sing” or “song” and found that almost all of the references to “songs” and “singing” were used in the Old Testament as part of their worship of God. David wrote many, many songs in the book of Psalms as a testimony to what God had been doing in his life. But, I will admit, I was surprised that in the New Testament, there were hardly any references to “songs” and “singing” – that is until you get to the book of Revelation. Revelation 5:9 says, “And they sang a new song: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slain, and with Your blood You purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.’” The elders in heaven proclaimed Jesus Christ worthy of a new song because He had overcome death and triumphed over sin forever. What an amazing sight the writer of Revelation was blessed with to be able to witness this new song sung for his Savior and Lord.
My prayer for all of us today is that we do not become so complacent with life that we are satisfied with the same old song, sung each and every day. Or that we are content to stand around without honoring God with this praise. But I hope that we will ask God to give us a new song to sing in praise and glory to Him.
Pray with me: Awesome God. How amazing it is to us that you love us so very much that you would give us a new song. We pray that we will not take it and try to hum it to the same old chorus we live each and every day. But rather that we would be transformed into a new creation by the singing of our new song. May this new song only glorify You and what You have done for us through the sacrifice of Your son Jesus Christ. He is the reason that we sing. We pray that we will not continue to live in the muck and mire of the slimy pits that we sometimes fall into, but that we will reach up to You to have our feet set on solid ground. In Jesus’ Name, we pray, Amen.