I will sing, sing a new song. Years ago we used to sing a song in church with lyrics that were part of Psalm 40:
I waited patiently for the Lord, He turned and He heard my cry
He brought me up out of the pit, out of the miry clay
I will sing, sing a new song
Sing, sing a new song
How I long to sing this song…
The reason I always loved it so was because of the intimacy and authenticity of the lyrics. The Scripture (Psalm 40:3) actually says, “He has put a new song in my mouth…” Our new song is between our heart and God’s because He has saved us.
Our salvation is personal. Yes, God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…even with the infinite number of souls He died to save, He knows everything we’ve been through and everything we face. His rescue is individual. What pit, what miry clay has He pulled us out of? We know and He knows. Praise be to His matchless NAME!
There’s a verse in Psalm 116 (verse 12) that says, “What shall I render to the LORD for all His benefits toward me?” The response to that question is found in the next few verses. Verse 13 says, “I will take up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.” It seems to me that verses 16 and 17 help us to understand what that looks like: “O LORD, truly I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; You have loosed my bonds. I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.
This chapter was so impactful to me that I read it over and over, day after day. Not only is His salvation personal, our response to Him should be personal as well. When we give a response to the salvation He has brought us, we honor Him, we are compelled to sing a new song with our lives, one that He has given to us deep in our soul! The lyrics are those written on our heart by our Redeemer. He understands them because He is the Author.
There was a line written by Matthew Henry in the commentary regarding verse 17 that said it all in one breathtaking sentence:
“The bonds Thou has loosed shall tie me faster unto Thee.”
May our worship be personal – in song and in life.
I would love to hear from you.