Psalms 40:3

Joe Errickson

"And He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many will see and fear, and will trust in the Lord."

In his years at Georgia Tech, my son Daniel participated in an annual event called TUG. Engineers construct a deep mud pit through which the losing fraternity gets dragged in a game of tug of war. Psalm 40: 2 describes deliverance from "a pit of destruction and miry clay." Perhaps David witnessed a metaphoric TUG or two in his day.

Unavoidable hardship and heartache can visit us all. Like struggling to get a foothold in a mud pit, we seem powerless to control inevitable events that pull us through the pit. Jesus, undoubtedly experienced feeling knee-deep in miry clay as events led Him ever closer to the cross. Though He went to the cross willingly, how difficult it must have been to see beyond the walls of the pit through which we dragged Him, and ultimately pray "Father, forgive them..."

The Lord brought David out of the pit and set his feet upon a rock, then put a new song in his mouth. This Psalm attests to God's faithfulness to provide deliverance from the pit. Himself a musician, David expressed depths of understanding, love, and devotion through psalms and music that could powerfully, if temporarily, encourage and lift ones spirit. Great songs of our faith, psalms of praise, as well as contemporary Christian music inspire and renew faith in God. In the midst of the wet red Georgia clay He puts His song in our hearts, and places our feet firmly on the Rock.

Prayer; Lord of creation, thank-you for the gift of music. As You inspired people through the ages to express faith and love for You in music and song, help us establish Your song in our hearts and share the Gospel with a needy world. Amen.