Sing a New Song

"Oh sing to the LORD a new song;

sing to the LORD, 

all the earth!"

Psalm 96:1

I often wonder: Hasn't every song that could ever be sung already been composed?  I'm with Solomon when he said "there is nothing new under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 1:9)  Still, the psalmist exhorts us to sing a new song to the Lord!  How can I do such a thing?  What's new that I can lift my voice about in praise to the Lord?  Here's what:

New Thing.  Things never seem to go right for me.  Life is always a struggle and I just have to accept it.  Some people succeed and live in peace with themselves, but not me.  I'm destined to continue this pattern of failure, unfulfilled dreams and desert living.

It's easy to fall into a rut in life.  I look at all the ways I've fallen short or messed up or been disappointed and I think today will be the same.  Like a train on a destructive track, I can't just switch to another set, can I?  God speaks to us in this mindset through the prophet Isaiah, reminding us that He is the God of the new thing, the fresh start, the clean slate (Isaiah 43:18-19).  

He is always at work in my life opening different doors, giving me a distinct outlook, providing another opportunity.  If I'm stuck in the past, believing there is nothing new for me and that it's impossible for me to find a wellspring of life in the desert that is my heart, then I will never even notice what He's doing.  If, however, I look for God at work, trusting that He is always busy bringing about innovative and good things into my life, then I will perceive His wonderful designs in my little ol' life.

I can sing to the Lord for the new thing I trust Him to do in my life.

New Mercies.  The lovingkindness of God is endless.  He shows me compassion when I need comfort, offers reassurance when I'm insecure, or extends pity when I just need to be understood.  His listening ear is always atuned to my cries.  

He never fails to give me just what I need according to my specific circumstance.  You'd think with such a needy daughter as I that I would have used up all my share of His mercies.  On the contrary!  I receive a new supply every single morning.

I can sing to the Lord for the new mercies I can count on for each day.

New Spirit.  It can be discouraging to grow old.  Each day is one day closer to death, and our bodies continue to break down in accordance with the Second Law of Thermodynamics.  Joints wear down, organs weaken, muscles atrophy, sight dims, hearing fades, skin sags.  Nothing is as it was in youth.  Even though I may feel as I did when I was young, my body tells me I'm getting older.  

Thankfully, God is busy renewing my inner self each day.  Even though my flesh is wearing down, my spirit is in a constant state of transformation.  Like the shoes that never wore out in the desert despite the constant wanderings of God's people (Deuteronomy 29:5), God keeps us feeling young on the inside (2 Corinthians 4:16).

But this newness is more than just a feeling, its also a transformation process that God is busy bringing about in my mind.  He is changing the way I think so that it lines up more with His higher thoughts ( Isaiah 55:8-9).  In order for this renovation of my way of thinking to take place, however, I must cooperate (Romans 12:2).  It is necessary that I allow Him to work within me, making me new each day.  If I stubbornly insist on my way, on sticking to what I know, to being like I've always been, I'll never taste this metamorphisis that miraculously makes me into a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17, Philippians 1:6).

There's nothing new under the sun, huh?  Maybe with man there isn't, but when it comes to God, there's plenty that's fresh and innovative.  Therefore, I can always sing about the new thing He's doing, the new mercies He supplies, and the new spirit He gives.  With such bounty in my life, I have plenty to sing about!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God with what He is busy doing on my behalf.

When do I doubt the goodness that is all around me as well as woven throughout me?

How am I focusing only on the old stuff, and missing out on all that's fresh and clean?