Celebrate!

I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord. (Psalm 40:1-3 ESV).

Yesterday I talked a bit about celebration. Did you know there is a song of celebration in your heart? This song celebrates what you consider worthy of celebration. That thing is that in which your soul delights; it is that which your soul is satisfied. So many people celebrate things that aren’t worthy of celebration. Sadly, billions praise those things that starve their souls and drive them to the brink of eternal death. Some are still singing as they fall off the cliff into outer darkness. That would be us, too, if God had not given us another song to sing. This is a “new” song put in our heart by God’s grace. It is one that celebrates him, not our worth or the quality of our praise. The song has been “put” there by God. It has not been “earned” by the feeble works of our life. The psalmist doesn’t say, “I learned a new song! I earned a new song! A song of praise by, and for, my efforts, my wisdom, my riches, my greatness!” This “new” song is a celebration in the mouth of the psalmist, but he is not arrogantly praising himself. This new song celebrates God. It rejoices in God. It sings about God. This song celebrates God for who he is and for what he has done. This is the “new song.” The heart that has been changed by the gospel sings the praise of the Savior. For only in Jesus, we have been redeemed. We have been saved from our sins that have separated us from our God. We have been raised from our spiritual death to walk in the newness of eternal life. We have received and have been sealed by the Holy Spirit, the guarantee of our redemption. We have been called out of darkness and into his marvelous light to proclaim his praises. When we gather for corporate worship, it is to share in this gift of “new heart-song” praise to our God together, both as individuals and as those who can truly call this God “ours.” The heart of the psalmist should also be “our” heart as he proclaims, “Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.” As we celebrate the salvation of God through Jesus Christ and in the power of his Holy Spirit, our song will show others the soul satisfaction we have experienced. This should be our desire as we come together to praise God publicly and joyfully. Even through sorrowful waiting and painful trusting, our song of praise, though at times with a lamenting melody, will yet praise him, for our circumstances are not our song. He is our song! And he is worthy of celebration! Come on let’s have a party!