That was over 20 years ago. Since then I've learned that this business of "making up" songs is found in Eph. 5 and Col. 3, and any Christian can do it. Crazy, but true. The hard part was getting over myself and starting, not knowing what I was going to sing next.
This idea of singing a "new song" to the Lord is thousands of years old. The word "new" in Psalm 98 means "fresh"...sing a fresh song to the Lord. It's a song that isn't old or stale. It's fresh from the oven and has the same appeal to God as fresh bread or fresh cookies has to us. The prepackaged stuff is OK, but the good stuff is the fresh stuff.
God delights in the fresh stuff from our hearts, not our left-overs or our canned, prepackaged songs. Those are OK; those still have value. But on a personal level, just alone with Him, we can sing a song of thanksgiving or praise or worship that no one has ever heard before... Not even our own ears!
When I first began this adventure I was nervous. I felt embarrassed because it was probably going to sound stupid. But once I realized that God was the only one who was going to hear it and He was already predisposed to like it, I wasn't as afraid of "making a mistake". Who cares if I did besides me?...and I wasn't singing to me or for my approval. I was singing to Him to express my love and thanks.
I encourage you to give it a try. It may not sound pretty. It may not rhyme. It may only have 2 chords and 5 words. But if it comes fresh from your heart, He loves it!
Psalm 98:1
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
(NKJ)
Sing to God a brand-new song... (MSG)
