A new song is a new direction

September is a great time of year to begin something new.

Psalm 40:3 says, "He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God."

Something new is fresh. A new shirt can make you feel fresh and sharp the first time you wear it. Building a new habit creates good feelings and a sense of alertness. New is very good.

Here the Psalmist draws our attention to some things about new. First, he says that God is the source of the new song. "He has given . . ."

We have friends who are generous garage-salers. They scour town looking for those unique things not just for themselves, but to give to their family and friends simply because it looked like something they could use. They receive great joy in the act of giving.

One of God's many characteristics is that He is a giver. The most popular Bible verse says, "He loved so He gave His only son." His very nature is to give.

This Psalm reminds us that He is a giver of new songs. He starts things that are new. He implants new patterns, new habits, new directions, and new reasons to sing.

A new song is more than a melody; it is a new direction. He is willing to take what has become stagnant and move it toward something new and fresh.

When you hear a new song that you really like, you start to pay attention to it. If you want to sing along, you have to absorb the words, the melody and the rhythm. Then to sing you have to sing them in the right time, place and note. Singing a new song is a lot of work.

A fresh direction from God requires looking on what He has already revealed and then, like the new song, figuring out what He has said. Then we need to act on what we've heard.

Like the new song you hear it, figure out what the words and rhythms are and then start singing at the top of your lungs.

Starting something new begins in knowing that God is the giver of all things, especially new things. New things then are acted on in the best that they are understood.

Sometimes we all just need a restart. That is the business God is in.

It's never too late to start something new.

Robert Hurtgen is a husband, father, minister and writer. Read more of him at robhurtgen.wordpress.com.