3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the Lord.—The words of King David from Psalm 40:3
I grew up in a house filled with music. Both of my dear parents loved to sing. My mom would play the piano and my dad would stand beside her and sing the words from the sheet music or hymnal. My parents also liked to listen to records and we had quite a collection of 78 rpm records of famous big band singers. As I grew older, we acquired quite a few 33 1/3 rpm records, too. Then, the dreaded 45’s—dreaded because, to my parents, rock and roll was just so much noise.
I once asked my mom why music seemed so important to her and to my dad. She told me, “Music can put a smile on your face. When you feel sad or overwhelmed, music can make you feel better. And, besides,” she continued, “God loves music. All through the Bible the Scriptures talk about the important place music plays both in heaven and here on earth.”
As usual, my mom was right. Music has great power to soothe and caress the soul. In the Scripture passage at the beginning of this blog post, King David testifies to the reality that God has placed a new song in his mouth. To understand this you must remember that David started out his life as a young boy out on the hillside tending sheep. Many shephers carried a small wooden flute on which they would play tunes to soothe the sheep and also pass the long hours watching for predators as the sheep grazed.
Music played an important part in David’s life. You may remember that 1 Samuel 16:23 records how David played the harp to soothe Saul’s troubled soul when God sent a spirit to torment Saul because of his sin. In this case, God gave Saul a stark contrast between the painful consequences of his sin and the peaceful music coming from a godly young man that had been annointed of the Lord.
Maybe you’re someone who does not sing or play an instrument or even enjoy music very much. If so, your life still is surrounded by music virtually everywhere you go. In the supermaket, music plays that industrial psychologists have chosen to create an atmosphere conducive to encourage you to buy more goods. Most television commercials have a music bed that plays underneath the narration. Even at the theater, as you wait for the movie to begin, music will play to ease the anxiety of waiting. Music is everywhere.
As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, countless thousands of songs, hymns, and spiritual songs have been written to help us express our faith and to forthtell the great truths of God’s Word. Whether we sing songs of praise to God, implore Him to come to our aid, celebrate the joy that He gives us, remember the great gift He has given us in His Son, music plays an important part in our worship, both personal and corporate.
If I may, I would like to suggest that you begin every day this week by asking God to put a new song in your mouth for that day. I believe that God will answer that pray and He will fill your heart and mind with a new song of His mercy, grace, and love. With the totality of your being so filled with that new song, it will overflow out of you and touch the lives of everyone who crosses your pathway. Will you give my suggestion a try?
One of those 78 rpm records that I heard played so much in my home growing up was Perry Como’s first recording of very winsome tune: “Without a Song” with music by Vincent Youmans and lyrics by Billy Rose and Edward Eliscu. (Perry Como recorded this classic a second time in 1970.) I have always liked this song very much. It brings back some very fond memories from the loving cocoon of my childhood.
Without a song the day would never end
Without a song the road would never bend
When things go wrong a man ain’t got a friend
Without a song
That field of corn would never see a plow
That field of corn would be deserted now
A man is born but he’s no good no how
Without a song
I got my trouble and woe but, sure as I know, that Jordan will roll
I'll get along as long as a song is strong in my soul
I'll never know what makes the rain to fall
I'll never know what makes the grass so tall
I only know there ain’t no love at all
Without a song
In the late 1970s, while developing an illustration of multi-track recording for a particular teaching assignment, I became fascinated all over again with the exquiste techniques employed by The Carpenters. Karen and Richard Carpenter, along with the recording engineers at A & M Records under the leadership of Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, developed the art of muti-track recording to an unprecedented level. Most listeners do not realize that the two singers provided all the vocal parts for the vast majority of their recordings. They perfected some recording techniques that musicians continue to use today, nearly 43 years later.
In celebration of “Without A Song” and also the legacy of Karen and Richard Carpenter, please click here to listen to their version of this classic song.
I hope you enjoyed that rather unique version of a classic tune.
Will you pray with me?
Thank You, God, for loving us. Thank You for sending Jesus to be our Savior. Thank You for sending us Your Holy Spirit to dwell within us.
As we bow humbly before you, Precious Father, we invite You to place a new song in our hearts, even praise to our God. We long to know the peace, joy, courage, and strength that King David knew because he placed all of his trust in You.
We thank You for Your great love for us, even when we seem so weak and frail in our faith. We know that we can always count on Your mercy, grace, and great love. And, we thank You for hearing our prayer in and through the precious Name of Your Son, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
