Lord Save Us

The Gaither Vocal Band's “Lord Save Us” is a plea that moves between two voices. The opening describes “the sound of crying from the valley, rising from the weary, tired and worn,” people begging for strength and mercy for the battle and for help to hold on until morning.

God's answer arrives in the chorus-like section: “Child, I hear your every cry. There has never been a time I have left you all alone. You are my beloved.” He says he would die to buy his people back, and calls them the apple of his eye. The second verse returns to the human side with honest questions, asking whether he understands their groanings and knows the language of their tears. It admits that there are seasons when it feels as if God has left them, and times when fear nearly wins. The refrain is short and direct: “Lord, please save us. Don't forsake us. Lord, have mercy. Hear Your child cry.” The song does not resolve the doubt with an argument. It lets the cry and the reply sit next to each other, which makes it useful for a service where people carry grief or fear and need to hear that their prayer is heard.

Being kept as the apple of his eye is Psalm 17:8. The Spirit interceding with groanings is Romans 8:26, and God's ears open to the cry of the righteous is Psalm 34:15.