As a worship leader, I would feel the shudder and hear the groan of God’s people when we would cheerily announce, “we’re going to sing a new song” to the Lord, today. Most people in a lot of churches like familiarity and sameness in singing a certain hymn on page 177. It is their blessed assurance. There are many who still like doing things the way we always done it. It is the rare person in the congregation who greet new songs with a broad smile and a twinkle in their eyes, ready to give the notes of a new melody their best. Okay, I know you might be thinking, but this isn’t what this psalm is saying when it says “sing to God a brand-new song.” But, isn’t it?
As we prepare our hearts for worship of Almighty God, Creator of all, who makes all things new with each new day of our lives; I think God desires and even longs for us to come into His new day seeking newness. God is looking for the new with our best with greater opened hearts of surrender, greater humility in our thoughts of ourselves compared to Him, with even greater expectations of the hope that fills our souls because of HIS new fresh mercies given for this new day!
Singing to God a new song is His story of redemption that saves us from our old way of thinking, behaving, and praising!
The Apostle Paul writes of the newness we have in Jesus Christ! “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:17-21
God is continually renewing our hearts, minds and souls until we see Him face to face in glory! No one on earth has arrived at perfection. We are merely forgiven by a Perfect God who forgives and makes all things new in our lives. He does this daily, hourly, minute by minute when we come to Him and ask for help to walking humbly with God. Our relationship with God is made possible only by Jesus who paid our debt of sin and set us free to have this new relationship. God/Jesus/Holy Spirit—the fountain of Life who make all things new!
“And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”—Revelation 21:5
THIS IS OUR NEW SONG FROM THE COMPOSER OF NEW LIFE IN CHRIST!
Come, let us sing a new song…
Psalm 149, The Message
1-4 Hallelujah!
Sing to God a brand-new song,
praise him in the company of all who love him.
Let all Israel celebrate their Sovereign Creator,
Zion’s children exult in their King.
Let them praise his name in dance;
strike up the band and make great music!
And why? Because God delights in his people,
adorns plain folk with salvation garlands!
5-9 Let true lovers break out in praise,
sing out from wherever they’re sitting,
Shout the high praises of God,
brandish their swords in the wild sword-dance—
A portent of vengeance on the God-defying nations,
a signal that punishment’s coming,
Their kings chained and hauled off to jail,
their leaders behind bars for good,
The judgment on them carried out to the letter
—and all who love God in the seat of honor!
Hallelujah!
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
The end of the Song is only the beginning of Eternal Life with God. The Revelation of God to John describes the coming of a new heaven and a new earth after the old order passes away. What does that do to our old way of thinking, but we always done it this way? Well, this is where the new part comes in to dwell—we surrender all.
The Revelation promises that God will wipe away every tear and that death, sorrow, crying, and pain will no longer exist. Well, that’s new! We can’t wait to sing the verses composed by the angels of heaven who praise God continually and forever. Come on, don’t shudder, sing a new song with a new heart solely to the Lord. Don’t worry if you don’t hit all the notes, just sing. God will do the rest. He promised.
On earth, we will always be in skirmishes with the defeated Enemy of God who works overtime to feed our minds with his old tricks of lies and manipulation of our thought life. Jesus, however, has already won the war! Jesus is the Victor. Jesus is the resurrection and the Life. Jesus is the way to God, the Truth of God, offering the gift of Eternal Life from God. Hold on, get a grip on Truth. Surrender daily and be made new. Pray for our minds to be reset and refreshed daily so our thoughts are not swayed by the Loser.
God’s people are armed with the “sword of the Spirit”. Read all of Ephesians 6 for all the tools we need for overcoming the limited powers spewed by the Enemy against God’s kingdom. God will judge at the end of time—not our job. What we learn is this: God invites his people to join him in establishing his kingdom. Be reconciled to God! Be ambassadors of Christ who led others to reconcile with God! May this be the new song we sing with expectant Hope!
Lord,
Thank you for being our new song to sing each day. Cleanse our hearts, remove all that does not belong. Renew our minds, refresh our souls. Restore the joy of your salvation continuously at work within me. May your Holy Spirit guide us to all that is Truth. To you be all glory, honor, and praise.
In Jesus Name, Amen
