Time For A New Song

Isaiah 42:8 – “I am the Lord; that is my name!
I will not yield my glory to another
or my praise to idols.
⁹ See, the former things have taken place,
and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
I announce them to you.”

¹⁰ Sing to the Lord a new song,
his praise from the ends of the earth,
you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it,
you islands, and all who live in them.
¹¹ Let the wilderness and its towns raise their voices;
let the settlements where Kedar lives rejoice.
Let the people of Sela sing for joy;
let them shout from the mountaintops.

¹² Let them give glory to the Lord
and proclaim his praise in the islands.
¹³ The Lord will march out like a champion,
like a warrior he will stir up his zeal;
with a shout he will raise the battle cry
and will triumph over his enemies. (NIV)

Today’s reading comes from one of my favorite prophets, Isaiah.  I have many favorite verses that come from this ancient prophet, and today’s reading includes one: “Sing to the Lord a new song” (verse 10).  I find this verse to be a challenge and a promise.  First, it’s a challenge because let’s face it, sometimes we get stuck in a rut, and singing a new song – a song of hope, a song of promise – is not really what we fell like doing.  We should note, God doesn’t ask us if we feel like singing a new song, God commands that we sing a new song!  Due to some of the events of life that we all face, we must begin each day singing a new song. 

I find verse ten to be a promise, as well.  Where is the promise?  We look to verse nine: “See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.”  It is in response to those former things, and looking to the future, that God tells the people to sing a new song.  Isaiah was ministering to the Babylonian exiles.  Those folks didn’t really see much chance of anything changing, but God was already working.  Because God was already at work, changing things that they could not yet see, God tells them to ‘change their tune!’  What’s done is done, God seems to be saying, and now they were told to prepare for something new.  I’m fairly certain they did not have any idea what that might be, but they were told to sing a new song in preparation for what God was going to do. 

When we find ourselves in a place in our lives where we don’t see anything changing, let’s remember God’s promise – what is done is done, and God is already at work, even if we don’t see it at the present time. 

Today, let’s sing a new song!

Posted by Ramón Torres