Song Meaning

These lyrics open with an immediate, urgent plea to a divine power, a "God of love" and "King of Peace," to halt global conflict. The speaker implores this entity to "Make wars throughout the world to cease" and "wrath of nations now restrain." It's a direct, desperate call for intervention in a world seemingly consumed by strife. The central tension here lies in the contrast between divine memory and human failing. The speaker asks the Lord to "Remember Your works of old"—past wonders—but crucially, to "Remember not our sin's dark stain." This isn't just a request for peace; it's an appeal for mercy, acknowledging human imperfection while still hoping for divine grace. The repeated refrain, "Give peace O God, give peace again," suggests a lost state, a longing for a return to a time when peace was present. Midway through, the lyrics shift powerfully from collective supplication to a stark, personal declaration: "I believe it will come." Repeated three times, this phrase injects a profound sense of unwavering faith and conviction, breaking the pleading tone with a surge of hope. This belief isn't passive; it's an active, resilient trust, further underscored by the lines "We walk by faith and not by sight / Through fertile fields or through the fire," illustrating an enduring commitment through all circumstances. The cumulative effect of these lyrics is a potent expression of hope and absolute reliance. The rhetorical questions, "Whom shall we trust but You, O Lord / Where rest but on Your faithful word," solidify this dependence, making the final, insistent repetition of "Give peace O God" feel like a deeply earnest, almost primal cry. It's a testament to enduring faith in the face of overwhelming global turmoil.