A New Song

Psalm 40:3 says, “And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.”

Years ago a group of students in college choir, at a Christian college, were on campus practicing their singing on a hot summer day in the park. Finally, the professor asked if there was a song that someone would choose to sing next. One young man said, “I’d like to sing ‘Standing Somewhere in the Shade.’” (The actual song was “Standing Somewhere in the Shadows,” by E.J. Rollings.) The joke was not appreciated by the professor.

In our text, David is speaking about a song God put in his mouth—a new song. This song is not just words and music, but rings out a melody of what God has done in his heart. This is a song that we all need. We don’t need a great voice, or perfect pitch for this song. People will recognize it is different from the old song we had been singing.

In Psalm 40:1, we see David crying out to the Lord. We have a number of psalms of David crying, even complaining. In this state of crying, David waited patiently. He did not sing a song and hope that God would bless it. On a number of occasions, I have heard the song leader say, “Come on and sing. Put a smile on your face. You look like a bunch of dead people.” Then some people try to sing a little louder and maybe force a smile. I usually think, “If I want to smile I will. If I want sing I will.”

David cried and waited. God did hear and delivered him. We all need delivered. The horrible pit of sin with its mire and muck pulls us down. There is no way we can save ourselves. Like in quicksand, the harder we try the quicker we sink. Praise God for the solid rock, Jesus.

Pastor Henry J. Zelley and his layman Henry L. Gilmour together produced the hymn, “He Brought Me Out” (1898). It is based on this psalm of David. The refrain says, “He brought me out of the miry clay; He set my feet on the rock to stay. He puts a song in my soul today—A song of praise, hallelujah!”

The last part of our text says, “many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.” We have an example of this in Acts chapters 3 and 4. It happened at 3:00 p.m.—the hour of prayer—in the temple gate, Solomon’s Porch, the gate called Beautiful. It was there that Peter took the hand of the crippled beggar, and in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, commanded him to rise up and walk. Immediately he received strength and leaped up. He continued to leap, walk, and praise God as he entered the temple with them. Praise came forth from his mouth as a new song, no more begging, but leaping and praising. When the crowd saw this they came running and greatly wondering. To this crowd Peter began to preach. This resulted in the captain of the temple and the Sadducees being grieved and laying hands on Peter and John and putting them in hold overnight. Nevertheless, about 5,000 of the crowd heard and believed. Peter and John were threatened and released, but they never stopped preaching in the power of the Holy Spirit. The church was on fire! The fire was kindled by the new song in the mouth of the cripple. Many saw and feared and trusted in the Lord.

As we wait upon you today, Lord, bring us out of the miry clay. Put in our mouth a new song!