In his song "Up!" featuring Connor Price, Forrest Frank seems to be talking about his journey in making music that he loves and that glorifies God, but there are all kinds of situations in life, you and I can relate to as well when we feel down and stuck and maybe even a little hopeless, but God brings us up and out of those low places.
The lyrics reference Lazarus who was a man in the Bible and friend of Jesus, who got sick and died, but Jesus raised him from the dead. You can read that story in John 11. There are so many implications to that story, but it is a picture of Jesus bringing a situation everyone thought was dead and hopeless back to life. Here's another passage in the Bible that came to mind as I listened to this song:
Psalm 40:1-3 (NLT): "I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord."
Whether you're pursuing a God-given dream, trying to create a new legacy for your family, battling anxiety or sickness, or some other trial, Jesus is really good at bringing life to dead places and lifting people out of the things that have them stuck. If you'll trust your life and your situation to Him, He can do the same thing for you in the way He knows is best. My favorite line in "Up!" is: "I was down but now I'm up, yeah/This all God this ain't no luck..." When Jesus does great things in your life, remember it's because of Him, not just chance or your own strength and grit. And give all the thanks, praise, and glory to Him.
Lyrics
I was down but now I'm up, yeah
This all God this ain't no luck, yeah
I used to be stuck in that mud, woah
Yeah, I was down but now I'm up, up, up, up
I was down but now I'm
Up like my name Lazarus
Know Satan gon' be mad at this
I had to ask my dad
If it's okay to swing my bat at this
He said, "Boy, if I pitch it, it's out of the park"
Moving so quick, it's like they stuck in park
They see the numbers but I see the heart
Ten thousand hours he spent in the dark
Putting in good work
Even though he didn't even know that it would work
Talk about a man who grew up in woodwork
Do it for the love of it, that's the way it should work, yeah, yeah (Yeah, yeah)
I know some people gon' look at me crazy and I'm like for what? (What?)
Man, I was stuck
Jasmin Patterson is a lifelong Christian music fan passionate about helping others connect with Christ. Serves in college ministry and loves to write for seekers and believers, helping them discover and live biblical Christianity.
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