Name That Tune

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.
Psalm 40:3 NIV

If you're as old as I am, you may remember a game show that used to be on television called "Name That Tune." Contestants would try and guess the title of a song by hearing as few notes as possible. Reading Psalm 40 this morning reminded me of that game show.

I wonder what song you're singing this morning? Many of us in the Mid-Atlantic are probably singing a song requesting some Spring-like weather. David was going through his own problems when he wrote this psalm. Instead of dwelling on the problems at hand, David suggests that the Lord has encouraged him to sing a song of praise.

The song of praise in spite of our circumstances isn't just for our own benefit (even though it definitely helps get us out of a funk). It's for the benefit of those hearing it. David tells us that many will put their trust in the Lord as a result of hearing our song of praise while knowing our circumstances.

We read the New Testament account of putting this into practice in Acts 16. The Apostle Paul and Silas are singing praise songs to God immediately after having been beaten and imprisoned. The other prisoners were listening to them. I can only imagine what was going through their minds!

You and I need to sing a song of praise each and every day regardless of our circumstances. Our song is seen not only in our words, but also in our attitude, behavior and body language. When we can praise God in all these things in spite of our circumstances, many will thirst after what you have and create opportunities for sharing the Good News that trumps any bad news. No one will have to guess the song you're singing. It will be easy to name that tune!