Psalm 149

I find it interesting that in the Bible’s hymnal, the next to the last song would begin, “Praise the Lord. Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of his faithful people.” (vs 1) The book holds 150 of the greatest praise songs of all time, yet the psalmist says we should always be looking to sing “a new song.”

You know, things with God never get stale. They never get boring. A life lived with Him is probably one of the most unpredictable (and sometimes unbelievable!) experiences you’ll ever have. It will often feel like you never have the same day twice. And I guess that’s why the psalmist said what he did—when it comes to praising God, you never have to sing the same song twice. Faith is always a fresh experience.

That’s why the psalmist went on to say this: “May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands.” (vs 6) Praise and power always go hand in hand. The more you have of one, the more you’ll have of the other (and vice versa). But don’t confuse that power for physical force. The Bible identifies it in Hebrews: “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” (Heb 4:12) God’s Word is the sword! It is mightier than any amount of physical force you can ever encounter.

That’s why those who live with God will always have a new song to sing—by the work of God’s Word in their lives, they are constantly being shaped into new people. And new people sing new songs.

Okay, this doesn’t mean that we can’t ever return to our old favorites. It is always a blessing to recount where we have been on our faith-walk in the past. But don’t get stuck there! God is interested in taking you to new heights, new depths, and new places. He wants the active sword of His Word to reach new places in you so you will be inspired to sing Him a brand new song.

God likes new music. Why not let Him put a new song in your heart today?