Psalm 40:1-3 NLT
1 I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,
and he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
and steadied me as I walked along.
3 He has given me a new song to sing,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed.
They will put their trust in the Lord.
Music has the power to capture thoughts and feelings from the past, most recent or long ago, and send them streaming into our present at the sound of just a few bars or the press of a button. We like certain eras and genres of music over others, unfortunately, they don’t all make wholesome meaning to the hearers.
We get to that place in life where a song fills our hearts and mouths, songs we’ve never known or been taught pop into our spirit because of the joy bubbling within us. David was probably the most popular and successful king of Israel, but one thing that makes him stand out is his love for God and his ability to always have a new song in reverence for the God that he knew so well which flowed through the psalms he wrote.
A new song is one that has never been sung, born out of a new manifestation of God’s grace, to express what no old song or mercies would be appropriate for, see Isaiah 42:10.
A new song is the theme of a redeemed life in Christ as expressed in Revelation 5:9, implying a new heart.
In Psalm 40, King David tells of the times he experienced difficulties, oppositions, and turmoil. And at the same time, he testifies about God’s goodness to him, and how God had delivered him and gave him victory over the situations.
When you come out of a pit you’ve been in for a long time, your sense of deliverance and joy of relief is often expressed in a new song.
Three Psalms starts with these words; “sing to the Lord a new song.” Psalms 96, 98, and 149 and Psalm 33:3.
Why a new song? Because when we turn to the Lord in fear and trust, we confidently revere Him with love and faith to deliver us seen in Psalms 40:3. The psalmist had “waited patiently for the Lord” for deliverance. God heard and rescued him, and one of the things he does for him in the deliverance is “put a new song in his mouth, a song of praise to God”.
New songs of praise are appropriate for new rescues and fresh manifestations of grace. God is always gracious toward us, wowing us with His works, it is fitting that we not just sing old songs inspired by His past graces, but also sing new songs about His never-ceasing grace.
When we have patience in tribulations, manifest trust in distress and humble ourselves to God in prayer, we get to sing a new song to Him because He inclines His ears to us and hears us always. He sets us upon the rock and establishes our steps.
A new song from God is a song of praise to honour the Lord because He is worthy to be praised. Now in Psalm 40, David expressed his gratitude to the Lord for delivering him out of a horrible pit, and out of the miry clay. And because God delivered him, David could sing a new song to praise God. Has the Lord delivered you? Has He done any wonders in your life that requires you to burst into a song? May the Lord give you a new song to sing.
Shalom