A new song
For lo, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of singing has come,
And the voice of the turtledove
Is heard in our land (Song of Solomon 2:11-12).
When I started writing in March 2020, a blackbird used to sing from the topmost branch of the tree at the bottom of our garden. Each morning it would greet me, and I missed it when it stopped appearing. But yesterday morning a blackbird re-appeared and the singing started again. It would be nice to think it is my old friend, but I suspect it is a young blackbird, hatched a year ago. I was touched by the sound of birdsong.
In the Song of Solomon we read about the voice of the turtledove. It was heard after winter ended and spring had come. We have a reminder of death and resurrection in the seasons. And each Lord’s Day we are reminded of the death and resurrection of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. God has put a new song in our hearts:
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
For He has done marvellous things;
His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.
The Lord has made known His salvation (Psalm 98:1-2).
There is a heartfelt appeal for us to sing to our Saviour and to worship the Father in the power and liberty of the Holy Spirit.
During COVID, we have been unable to freely express in song our praise to the Lord as we usually do. But we need to remember the Lord looks on the heart. He hears the silent song within our hearts as we listen to the words of a hymn being read, or to recorded songs. It seems a limiting experience, but it is an opportunity to reflect on our approach to singing. We can be taken up with our musical ability and with moving, emotional melodies. Music can become solely about our feelings and our experience. We can forget it is a response to God. He is interested in what is in our hearts. Like Hannah in 1 Samuel 1, He hears our silent prayers. And like Mary in John 12, He hears our silent worship. Praise is meant to be heard, and it is a beautiful testimony, but it is first meant to be heard by God. It is our response to Him. Even in normal times, as the people of God, we can have those profound experiences when the holy quietness of worship fills our soul, when like the Queen of Sheba, we cannot find the words to express the gratitude we feel towards the Saviour, who overwhelms us with His love (1 Kings 10:5).
Lockdown has not robbed God of the praise and worship of His children. The Shepherd, who died for the sake of His flock, is not deprived of their response. Lockdown has reminded us that the Father seeks us to worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23). It is like Mary’s broken box. We learn that what is outward disappears. And the fragrance of worship in our hearts rises to heaven.
God has put a new song in our hearts. It will never cease to be heard, now the winter of Calvary has passed, and we experience the joy of the life we now possess in our risen Saviour. It is a springtime that will find its fulfilment in the day when the Father’s house is filled, and unrestrained worship pervades the courts of heaven. In the meantime, may we ensure that, though our voices are unheard on earth, our hearts are full of a new song to the Saviour that heaven delights to hear.
