How Long to Sing this Song...?

PSALM 40

I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.

He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.

He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the LORD.




I woke up this morning with the song "40" in my head from U2, taken from the Psalm above. I have been impacted of late by the words in Romans 3 - "there is no one righteous, not even one" and in the words of Romans 5 - "And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we[c] also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts." I suppose that's why I wanted to sing a new song.

"I will sing, sing a new song.
I will sing, sing a new song.

How long, to sing this song...?
How long, to sing this song...?
How long, how long...?"

Since I have the U2 - Live in Chicago video and since Asher and Jayla weren't home, I decided to put on the DVD and crank it up (much louder than you can listen to this clip from YouTube). There is a point in the video when they focus in on Larry Mullen, the humble drummer of U2 who rarely shows emotion while playing. The camera moves in on him so that only his face and the movement of his drumsticks are the picture. As with many pictures, the eyes tell the story. His eyes are fully alive glistening with the tears of hard work, toil and perseverance. I like to think there is more.

I like to think those are the tears of the Psalmist in #40. I WAITED PATIENTLY FOR THE LORD AND HE TURNED TO HEAR MY CRY. HE REACHED DOWN AND GRABBED ME, HOLDING ME TIGHT AND LIFTED ME FROM THE PERILS OF LIFE. HE SET ME UPON THE ROCK, WHO IS CHRIST WHERE MY FOUNDATION IS STRONG AND STABLE. THEN HE PUT A MELODY IN MY HEART AND I COULDN'T HELP BUT TO SING A NEW SONG. I WILL SING AND SING AND SING THIS SONG OF GRACE AND LOVE ALL MY DAYS.

I feel a connection and start crying.

As the song (and concert end) it is just Larry on stage. The crowd, 20,000 strong, is belting out "How long? to sing this song?" - singig a song of praise (whether they know it or not.) Mr. Mullen is lightly tapping his cymbals and touching the bass pedal ever so slightly, when he suddenly goes into a drumming frenzy a if possessed by the thought of the Rock himself. And, he walks off stage with a simple wave of the hand.

I'm not trying to glorify U2 here, but what I appreciate about them is the connection they create with their fans. I see it as some microcosm of the way we will connect with Christ in heaven. Thousands upon thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand encircling the throne of God in worship. I was connected this morning. And I sat there and cried. And I opened Scripture to Psalm 40 and read it over and over and over and over. How long will I sing this song...? How long...? How long...?