Song Sung New

We have been created to sing.

Nations have national anthems; armed forces march to martial music, colleges have alma-maters. Almost every organization you can think about has a theme song. Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts,...we sing in the shower, we whistle while we work, at times we even find ourselves pausing along the way to hear a bird chirping in the trees.

We, by our nature, love to sing, even when we sound terrible.

When we come to the Bible we find that the God of Creation and Redemption IS the God of Song.

When the universe was brought into existence, Job 38 says

“The morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy”

When God brought the Children of Israel out of bondage to Egypt, the Israelites sang the song of Moses. Ex 15

One day when this world is over and God’s plan of redemption has reached its consummation and we’re all gathered before Him, we’re all going to sing the song of the Lamb.

So we see that our singing is evidence of our life.

No one helps us understand this better than the Psalmist David, who wrote, “He put a new song in my mouth; a song of praise to our God”.

Read with me, Psalm 40, verses 1-3

(Pray)

The new song David is referring to is a song of deliverance.

He is describing in graphic terms, what it is like to be delivered from a hopeless situation by a God with Whom nothing is hopeless.

verse 2 says, “He brought me up out of the pit of destruction; out of the miry clay” One commentator approached this passage as though it addressed exclusively, those caught in the grip and guilt of sin. And it can be truthfully said that those without Christ are in a pit of destruction; a mire against which they have no strength.

But this commentator seemed to have skipped over verse one, which clearly indicates that the words are written by one who is a believer, and also has the wisdom and spiritual insight to wait for the Lord.

So we need to look more closely at these verses today and be careful not to miss what the Lord has to say to us just because we’re assuming it is only for the unsaved.

Christian, this passage refers to YOUR situation.

It is talking about the trial that seems to be leading to your destruction; if not spiritually, then perhaps physically, financially, whatever. It is talking about the mire of your circumstances, against which you feel helpless, being dragged down.

“He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out the miry clay”

He is able, believer! He is able to save to the uttermost;

which means not only is His arm long enough to save initially, but to keep us saved; to successfully guard that which we’ve committed to Him.

When I was stationed in Thailand, I went with a few GIs and some nationals to a local swimming hole. Not owning a bathing suit, I swam in my jeans (which get very heavy when wet). On the far side of this very beautiful mountain pool there was a large cave, into which the water was emptying. I didn’t realize how strong the current was going into that hole, until I ventured too close and began to be pulled into it. I still have no idea where it emptied out; whether a very high waterfall on the other side of the mountain, or if it resurfaced at all for a long time; I don’t know. I only know it was dark, and it went down, and I was quickly running out of strength and losing my battle with the current.

Just when I thought I could not swim another stroke, I saw a hand reaching out to me from a rock at the entrance to the cave. It was one of my buddies, Michael E. Babbitt. I’ll never forget his name, because I believe he saved my life that day. I grabbed onto that hand, literally for dear life, and he pulled me to the side, where I could get my own grip on the rock.

Now, I realize this is a type of story we hear from many places, and whatever the circumstances are of different stories, we hear them used to illustrate our weak and hopeless condition, and Christ’s strength to save us. But why is it we so soon forget that He is the strong One; that He is able to save. We wait until we’re waist high or higher in the miry clay before we cry out.

Or maybe we realize the God is strong, but we’re just not willing to wait patiently.

Well, a word of caution here for you; when you’re sinking in quicksand, the harder you struggle, the faster you go down. When swimming against a strong current, the more baggage you carry (like those wet blue jeans), the faster you’ll grow tired.