Sing a new song to the Lord today, because he gives you abundant mercy for the day. Enjoy worship in song today!
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada with a beautiful song you might know called “Mercies Anew.”
(Joni sings:)
Every morning that breaks
There are mercies anew.
Every breath that I take
Is your faithfulness proved.
And at the end of the day
When my labors are through
I will sing of your mercies anew.
For your mercies they will never end,
For ten thousand years they remain.
And when this world’s beauty has passed away
Your mercies will be unchanged.
And when the storms swirl and rage
There are mercies anew.
In affliction and pain
You will carry me through.
And at the end of my days
I just can’t sing that song without crying. And I guess sometimes music has a way of reaching deep within us where words simply cannot touch – and this song does that for me. I first heard it some years ago when I was just entering a long season of chronic pain. The wife of our church pastor, Melanie Muzio, taught it to me. Actually, she was on our church’s worship team and the first time I heard it sung – woah, did it reach so deep within me, inside my pain. The beautiful words about God’s mercies combined with the melody; well, it was a ministry of music, truly touching my heart.
You know how it is. Sometimes words – even the best of words we can come up with to comfort or encourage another – I don’t know, sometimes those words don’t always reach the problem where it hurts and that’s in the gut, it’s in the heart. That’s why I like this beautiful modern poem by Daniel Gawthrop. It goes:
In my heart’s sequestered chambers lie truths stripped of poet’s gloss.
Words alone are vain and vacant, and my smile is mute.
In response to aching silence, memory summons half-heard voices,
And my soul finds primal eloquence and wraps me in song.
So, if you would comfort me, sing me a lullaby.
If you would win my heart, sing me a love song.
If you would mourn with me and bring me to God,
Sing me a requiem, sing me to heaven.
Touch in me all love and passion, pain and pleasure,
Touch in me grief and comfort.
Sing me a lullaby, a love song, a requiem,
Love me, comfort me, bring me to God:
Sing me a love song, sing me to heaven.
Well, “Mercies Anew,” this song I just sang a moment ago, is such a love song for you today, because I know when I was in the most pain my friend Melanie would call me up on the phone, and I’d be in bed and Ken would put the receiver on my pillow and I’d just listen to her sing it. So sing a new song to the Lord today, the Bible says. And today, may this song be the new one God wants you to sing.
© Joni and Friends