God's On Your Side

The Mississippi Mass Choir sings “God's On Your Side” as encouragement for people who are tired. The first lines speak to hard days: “Some days are weary and you can't see your way. Some nights are lonely with no one to say you can make it.” The choir echoes each line, so it feels like many voices are repeating the same comfort.

The message is that hardship is temporary and God is near: “It's only a test, you can take it.” Listeners are told to wipe the tears from their eyes, to hold on and not quit, because “He can handle it.” The soloist and choir trade lines in call-and-response, and the refrain keeps coming back to “God's on your side.” Later, the leader gets personal, saying that God will be there in the midnight hour, telling the congregation to look to the hills from which their help comes, and asking them to turn to a neighbor and say “God will.” She also says she is a living witness. The song is long and builds in energy, with a vamp that can continue as long as the congregation responds. It is meant to encourage someone who is close to giving up.

Looking to the hills for help is Psalm 121:1-2. God never leaving or forsaking is Hebrews 13:5, and doing all things through Christ is Philippians 4:13.