Isaiah 42:10-17 (NIV)

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.
14 “For a long time I have kept silent,
I have been quiet and held myself back.
But now, like a woman in childbirth,
I cry out, I gasp and pant.
15 I will lay waste the mountains and hills
and dry up all their vegetation;
I will turn rivers into islands
and dry up the pools.
16 I will lead the blind by ways they have not known,
along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;
I will turn the darkness into light before them
and make the rough places smooth.
These are the things I will do;
I will not forsake them.
17 But those who trust in idols,
who say to images, ‘You are our gods,’
will be turned back in utter shame.

Reflection:

We love our music, sing our songs, and even have our great worship songs. We may have extensive collections of songs by artists such as Matt Redman or Hillsong. God has certainly used this music to touch hearts and help bring us into worship. But the sound and style pretty much match the styles we hear on the radio and in bars or basements. In many ways, our cultural preferences match the world’s.

What God does in our lives is so radically different that there is no worldly sound to match it… nothing. His “new song” goes beyond the musical styles of this culture or any other and transforms a broken world, turning the darkness into light and making the rough places smooth. He will not be stopped in His plan of salvation. He will no longer keep silent and hold back.

Response:

Let’s pray that we would catch the “new song” and “new rhythm” that God is singing to us. We want to be those who sing for joy, shouting from the mountaintops and giving glory to the Lord. Let’s also ask the Lord to open the hearts of those we are ministering to, so they may also catch this new song. May God’s light shine in the darkness, turning rivers into islands and drying up the pools.