A New Song

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

Psalm 40:3

Nicholae Moldoveanu (1922-2007) was a Christian song and hymn writer in Romania who was sentenced to 12 years under the Ceaucescu communist regime for his beliefs. While imprisoned he turned to writing praise and worship songs. Moldoveanu used soap on the cell bars and composed his music with his fingers. When Nicholae finished he would commit the song to memory. Nicholae’s faith remained steady while imprisoned for five years. He composed 361 worship songs there, part of his 3,000 songs now used in churches across a free Romania.

God had rescued Nicholae from the pit of destruction when he called on Jesus for eternal salvation as a teen. His spirit was then free to sing praises despite physical confinement.

Psalm 40:3 follows David’s deliverance from a horrific pit of destruction. God rescued King David, metaphorically, and Jeremiah (Jeremiah 38) physically, from a dark, deep, and dry cistern floored with gripping miry clay. They were both powerless to rescue themselves. God alone was able to save them from certain death. In Jeremiah’s case, God used thirty men to raise him from his pit prison.

What horrible pits do we experience? Most likely they are the trials that snare us. Our pits may be financial, diseases, depression, outward trappings, or enemies seeking to destroy us.

When we’re at our lowest God hears our humble cries. He rescues us. Then, like David, when God sets our feet on solid ground, we sing a new song of praise. God delivers us, maybe not from our circumstances, but always from our spiritual destitution. As we sing praises, others are encouraged and helped.

Heavenly Father, thank You for hearing my cries to be rescued and for saving me from pits of destruction. May I not remain quiet, but sing new songs of praise to You as a love offering.

Karen Sims