Something Old, Something New, and a Whole Lot of Joy!
Have you heard us singing ‘Give Me Joy’ by Elle Limebear yet? If not, we'd love to encourage you to give it a listen!
There is something rather special about this song. It brings together something old and something new, taking a familiar childhood hymn and giving it a fresh lease of life for a new generation.
In Matthew 13:52, Jesus speaks about bringing out of our treasures things both new and old. I wonder whether there is something of that in this song. It takes the much-loved words and melody of ‘Give Me Oil in My Lamp’, a song many of us will remember singing at school, Sunday school or church, and gives it a fresh sound, new verses and a renewed sense of joy.
It's a wonderful reminder that the truths of our faith are never old-fashioned. But there's something worth noticing in the new lyrics, too. For all its infectious energy and upbeat rhythm, this song has something quite profound to say about joy.
We often think of joy as a feeling, something that comes when life is going well or when we have something to celebrate. And joy certainly is something we experience and feel. But the Christian understanding of joy goes much deeper. Joy is also a gift from God, something the Holy Spirit grows in us (Galatians 5:22).
Jesus speaks about wanting his joy to be in us, so that our joy may be complete (John 15:11). That means our joy isn't ultimately dependent on our circumstances or how we happen to feel on a particular day. It is rooted in knowing Jesus.
So, as you listen to the new lyrics, look out for that deeper message. Beneath the infectious tune is a reminder that true joy is found in God, given by his Spirit and something we can carry with us through every season of life.
It's a song that makes you want to sing, but also gives you something worth thinking about!
The song has been making quite an impact! It reached number one in the Official UK Christian & Gospel Singles Chart, spending an incredible nine weeks at number one and thirteen weeks in the chart's top ten. That's quite an achievement for a song rooted in a childhood Sunday school favourite!
Our band spent Monday evening practising the song together. The following morning, one of our musicians was walking past a builder working nearby when they heard something rather unexpected: the builder was singing ‘Give Me Joy’! The musician had had the song stuck in their own head since the night before, but hearing a complete stranger singing it was quite a surprise.
We don't know where the builder had heard it, or whether it was simply a happy coincidence. But it made us smile. Perhaps that's the power of a great song: it gets into your head, stays with you, and before long you're singing it wherever you happen to be!
We hope ‘Give Me Joy’ becomes a song that we can enjoy singing together, across generations. Whether you remember the original from your childhood or are discovering it for the first time, its message is simple and wonderful: the joy we have in Jesus is something worth celebrating.
Haven't heard it yet? Give it a listen!
You can find Elle Limebear's ‘Give Me Joy’ here:
Or, if you have an Alexa at home, simply say:
"Alexa, play Give Me Joy by Elle Limebear."
Why not give it a play on your way to work, while making a cup of coffee or around the house? You never know, it might just get stuck in your head too!
We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
