Mark Bishop - Jesus Can Lift You Up Lyrics
Lyrics
Verse 1
If you believe God's word,
Sometimes we must be stirred.
When we grow weary, when we're mired in doubt,
We need a revival to lift us out.
Chorus
Jesus can lift you up.
Jesus can lift you up.
When you're camped in the valley, and you've had enough,
Jesus can lift you up.
Verse 2
When everything's going wrong,
He won't let you stay down long.
When you're going under life's sinking sand,
Reach up and take hod of the nail-scarred hand.
Bridge
He'll lift you (Jesus can lift you up)
When you're in the valley (Jesus can lift you up)
When times are tough (Jesus can lift you up)
When you're tired and weary (Jesus can lift you up)
I'm gonna hold to the saving hand,
'Til I stand with the angel band in the Promised Land.
I'm gonna get ready, not gonna wait,
Gonna keep walking straight to the pearly gates.
Here we go...
Video
Jesus Can Lift You Up
Meaning & Inspiration
Mark Bishop's "Jesus Can Lift You Up," released on April 23, 2002, as part of the album *Faith, Family, & Friends*, is a powerful testament to the enduring strength and hope found in faith during life's most challenging seasons. The song's core message is beautifully simple yet profoundly resonant: no matter how deep the despair, no matter how overwhelming the circumstances, Jesus is the unwavering source of deliverance and elevation. Bishop's lyrics speak directly to the human experience of doubt, weariness, and the feeling of being "camped in the valley," a vivid metaphor for being stuck in a low point, overwhelmed by troubles. This imagery immediately brings to mind passages like Psalm 23:4, which speaks of walking through the valley of the shadow of death, a place of fear and uncertainty, yet with the assurance of God's presence. The song's call to action, to "reach up and take hold of the nail-scarred hand," is an invitation to actively engage with spiritual truth. This act of reaching is mirrored in countless biblical accounts where individuals cried out to Jesus and found immediate rescue, such as the story of Peter walking on water and sinking when his faith faltered, only to be immediately pulled to safety by Jesus' outstretched hand (Matthew 14:30-31). The repetition of the central phrase, "Jesus can lift you up," acts as a comforting mantra, reinforcing the unwavering promise of divine intervention. It reminds us that when we feel like we're sinking in "life's sinking sand," a direct allusion to the instability and futility of relying on worldly solutions, the solid, steadfast foundation of Christ's love and power is available. The bridge further elaborates on this theme, listing various states of distress – being in the valley, facing tough times, feeling tired and weary – all met with the same reassuring promise. The bridge's personal declaration, "I'm gonna hold to the saving hand, 'Til I stand with the angel band in the Promised Land," encapsulates a lifelong commitment to this faith, a looking forward to eternal reward and a determined walk toward that heavenly destination. This echoes the sentiments found in Hebrews 11, the chapter of faith, which speaks of those who looked forward to a heavenly country. Ultimately, "Jesus Can Lift You Up" is more than just a song; it's a spiritual anchor, a declaration of faith in the power of resurrection and redemption, and an encouragement to all who find themselves in difficult places to believe in the transformative power of Christ's loving embrace.