A New Song

Psalm 144:9-10

I wish I had the talent to write hymns for services like pastors of yesteryear used to do.  For instance, John Newton wrote “Amazing Grace” in December of 1772 for the 1773 New Year Service.  Little was thought of the song during Newton’s life but during the 1950’s and 60’s, its popularity took off and it is now the most recorded song in history.  I don’t care anything about being popular, but it would be nice to be able to write songs of praise to my Savior.  

I will sing a new song to You, O God; 

On a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You,

The One who gives salvation to kings, 

Who delivers David His servant From the deadly sword.

Psalm 144:9-10

David was a man who had a talent for writing songs.  As with any good song, David wrote about things that were deeply emotional to him.  Among those things was God protecting him from the enemies that wanted to kill him.  Such was the case with this psalm.

John Newton wrote “Amazing Grace” because it was the grace of God that completely changed his life.  He knew that his life was a wreck of sin and debauchery before Christ.  He also knew that God had been merciful to him while he was in his life of sin.  The grace of God that saved him from his sins and brought him into a right relationship with God was something he never got over.

Can you imagine the number of songs that would be written if all of us wrote about our salvation?  What if we wrote about all the times God did something good for us?  Then there would be songs about God being good even when circumstances in life are not good.  We would be flooded with songs.

Though not one of Newton’s original verses, I cannot help but think of the verse most of us know as the final verse of the song:

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,

Bright shining as the sun.

We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise, 

Than when we first begun.

Father You are not just the God who gives salvation to kings, but you are the God who gives salvation to whosoever calls upon Your name.  May we never forget to sing praise to Your name and to praise You in our prayers.  Whether we acknowledge it or not, You are worthy.