Psalm 40:1-3 (NKJV)

I waited patiently for the Lord; And He inclined to me and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth – Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear and will trust in the Lord.

I’ve been a big fan of the band U2 since my high school days back in the 1980’s…but I didn’t know anything about their complicated faith journey, and especially that of U2’s front man, Bono, until much later. In a 2013 television interview, when asked if Jesus was divine, Bono simply answered “Yes.” The interviewer then asks of he believes Jesus rose from the dead. “Yes,” Bono replied, “I have no problem with miracles. I am one.” The interviewer, appearing to be a bit surprised, then asks, “So when you pray, then, you pray to Jesus?” “Yes” replied Bono. “The risen Jesus” asserts the interviewer. “Yes” replied Bono. “And you believe that he made promises that will come true?” the interviewer asks, with a bit of concern. “Yes” replied Bono, with no hint of doubt.

“40” was the name of the last song on one of U2’s albums and it quotes Psalm 40 directly. There are many other U2 songs that imply or directly quote scripture, and while I don’t always agree with their politics or style, one thing remains clear, especially when it comes to Bono: He genuinely tries to not only live out his faith, but he talks about it openly, as well. That is exactly the point of today’s psalm. As David looks back on all that the Lord had done in his life, he acknowledges the amazing changes by mentioning that God had “put a new song in his mouth – Praise to our God.” And as a result of David’s on-going lifestyle of praise and worship regarding his Lord and Savior, “Many will see it and fear and will trust in the Lord.” Has the Lord put a new song in your mouth? How often are you “singing” praises to the God who has inclined to you and heard your cry (v. 1)?

“The word inclined has the sense of God bending down to David in his affliction, removing any perceived distance between the LORD and His servant. When David knew God heard his cry, he was confident of a favorable answer” (Enduring Word commentary on Ps. 40). David had developed an enduring faith and spent much of his journey waiting for God to deliver him from various trials and tribulations, many of which he caused himself. This left David deeply humbled, but also deeply grateful, and as a result, he communicated regularly and openly about what the Lord had done in his life. By God’s power and grace, he is communicating still…even through the singing of one of the world’s most successful rock bands.

Most of us don’t have the world’s stage on which to proclaim the love of God, but we all have a stage, nevertheless. Your stage consists of the relationships in your life as well as the arenas in which you live. Home. Neighborhood. Work. Family. Friends. Neighbors. Co-workers. God has brought you through much…provided much…forgiven much…and as a result, He has placed a “new song in your mouth.” He wants to hear you sing it! He wants you to share what He has done from your own stage in the hopes that some “will see it and fear and will trust in the Lord.” Bono has his mic, I have mine, and you have yours…so use it!