While browsing YouTube yesterday, I came across this modern version of Psalm 40; it beautifully conveys the joy of the “new song” and the Lord lifting us out of the miry clay.
I still miss the weight and reverence of singing it from the old Scottish Psalter in the Free Church, where the Psalm carried a profound sense of awe before God. I memorised and sang it to the powerful tune called Ballerma.
“𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐿𝑜𝑟𝑑 𝑚𝑦 𝐺𝑜𝑑, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑙𝑦 𝑑𝑖𝑑 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑟; 𝐴𝑡 𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ 𝑡𝑜 𝑚𝑒 ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑑 𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑚𝑦 𝑣𝑜𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐𝑟𝑦 𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟.
𝐻𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑚𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑎 𝑓𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑓𝑢𝑙 𝑝𝑖𝑡, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑖𝑟𝑦 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑦, 𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑛 𝑎 𝑟𝑜𝑐𝑘 ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑡 𝑚𝑦 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑡, 𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑦 𝑤𝑎𝑦.
𝐻𝑒 𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑎 𝑛𝑒𝑤 𝑠𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑡ℎ, 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝐺𝑜𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑛𝑖𝑓𝑦: 𝑀𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑖𝑡, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑓𝑒𝑎𝑟, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐿𝑜𝑟𝑑 𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑦.”
Both can honour Him: one is expressive and personal, while the other is measured and majestic.
Grateful for both, and for the faithful Lord who hears our cry.
Psalm 40
