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. (Psalm 40:1-3)

Singing A New Song

There were many occasions when David, son of Jesse, was troubled by trials and afflictions. His relationship with King Saul was tenuous at best. Saul tried on numerous occasions to kill the man whom he deemed his rival. David loved Saul and would never hurt the anointed of God, but he spent many years running from Saul and his jealousy. There were personal failures in David’s life, most notably the affair with Bathsheba, wife of Uriah. David was not unlike most men who faced the days of being cast into a deep pit of despair and fear.

Whatever the occasion for writing his mournful psalm, David had experienced an exceptionally low place where he cried out to the Lord for relief. He describes his dilemma as a horrible pit of destruction and confusion. It was bad. David’s faith in God led him to know that God was faithful and would not allow his circumstances to defeat him if he would but trust in the power of the Lord to deliver. There was an expectation of deliverance for David. He had known the power of God’s intercession in the valley of Elah when he killed the giant, Goliath. His faith as a shepherd instilled in him the trust that Jehovah would always deliver.

Sinking into the pit of despair, David looked to his Savior for salvation. He cried to the only One that could deliver him. His prayer was answered as the Lord gently lifted David from the mire and placed his feet on solid ground. This metaphorical language describes the incredible joy of trusting in the Lord to deliver His children from the trials of life. David did not try to save himself with his own wisdom and did not trust in the wisdom of men. His trust was entirely placed in the Lord to bring light to the darkness of his life.

When David was delivered, he sang a song of joy. He was no longer mired in the clay of despair. His life had been transformed into the rock of salvation with established steps of faith. The joy of being rescued from the bottomless pit of despair lifted him to the throne of the Father with songs of praise and wonder. David’s life was transformed. He knew the cleansing power of God’s love. There was joy in his heart to feel the embrace of the Father who cared for His child in times of deep distress. Hallelujah, the soul rejoiced in the spirit of deliverance.

Many pits are found on the road of life. Some can be avoided, while others cannot. The question is not whether the pits are found in life but what must the child of God do about those pits. David trusted in God and knew His power of deliverance. He called out to the Lord for help. It takes patience and fortitude to trust in the plan of God to unfold with the will of the Father. God knows the plight of His children and the need of the hour. He will make a way of escape if the heart only trusts in the Father’s love.

David cried out to the Lord for mercy, and God delivered abundantly. God did not just bring David out of the pit. He set his feet on a rock and established his steps. David’s life was firmly standing on the grace of God. When the heart trusts in the Lord, the mouth will sing a new song praising God for His deliverance. The new song is thanksgiving and proclamation. Many will see the heart mired in the pit of despair lifted high by God’s love with fear and trust in the Lord. A new song creates a new hope in the lives of those filled with despair.