Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Psalm 96:1

 

Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have
worked salvation for Him. Psalm 98:1

 

Background Reading: Psalm 96 & 98

Sing a new song to the Lord! Psalms 96 and 98 start with these words. It is also a constant theme for the Psalmist. How easy it is to browse along this exhortation of the Psalmist without a further thought as to its significance. I am convinced, however, that the Psalmist is expressing an idea that must be the basis of any significant spiritual vibrancy and growth of Christian lawyers and indeed all believers.

Lawyers have been known to be a conservative lot that is contemptuous of new trends. We rely on stare decisis. We thrive on the lessons of the past. Precedent is golden and revered. It can be difficult for us to “sing new songs” to the Lord. We can get so familiar with the old and constant that new vibrant ways of perceiving life in the Lord can be unsettling. We can be content with spiritual stare decisis that celebrates the victories of the past at the expense of the now.

What is the old song that we must not be content with singing? Those old memory verses that had a lot of meaning when we first memorized them but are not dry words that we pull out when we need to appear spiritual. Those testimonies of the Lord’s work in our lives whose impact is long forgotten but the words come out at the appropriate moment. Those convictions that remain in our heads. As Scripture warns, we continue to have a form of godliness, but we continue to deny its power. Those wise words of encouragement, counsel or warning that we give to others but we have simply borrowed them from various speakers and they come with no conviction, but sound well-thought and spiritual.

But our God’s mercies are “new every morning.” Every day comes with exciting experiences and revelations about God’s character and involvement in our lives. We must not be content with the old songs. God’s Word must ring alive with His truths in a new way every day. We must remember the glories of past experiences with God, but those must be seen in light of what God is doing today. Our God is “I AM,” the God of the now! He wants us to remember the past but only in so far as it teaches us about God’s dealings so as to reveal what He can accomplish today. We must strive to continually “sing a new song.” A song of victory. A song of the reality of God. A song of the power of God now. A song of our personal experience with that God NOW.

Kamotho Wiaganjo      
Kenya

– This article comes from AI’s “No Higher Calling,” a devotional for lawyers.