When sins and fears prevailing rise
And fainting hope almost expires
Jesus to Thee I lift my eyes
To Thee I breathe my soul’s desires

Are You not mine, my living Lord
And can my hope, my comfort die
Fixed on the everlasting word
That word which built the earth and sky

Jesus, I lift my eyes
To Thee I breathe my soul’s desires
Jesus, I lift my eyes
To Thee I lift my eyes

Here let my faith unshaken dwell
Immovable the promise stands
Not all the powers of earth or hell
Can e’er dissolve the sacred bands
Jesus to Thee I lift my eyes

Jesus, I lift my eyes
To Thee I breathe my soul’s desires
Jesus, I lift my eyes
To Thee I lift my eyes

Here oh my soul
Thy trust repose
If Jesus is forever mine

Not death itself that last of foes
Can break a union so divine

Jesus, I lift my eyes
To Thee I breathe my soul’s desires
Jesus, I lift my eyes
To Thee I breathe my soul’s desires

traditional words by Anne Steele (alt. by Jars of Clay) / music by Jars of Clay / © 2005 Bridge Building, a div. of Zomba Enterprises, Inc. (BMI) / Pogostick Music (BMI).

Behind the Song:
The band wrote the music for its portrayal of this hymn by Anne Steele (1716-1778), a Baptist whose work stands among the guys’ favorite hymns. At 18, Steele had suffered a great deal already all her life. She nevertheless knew love. But on the day before her wedding, Steele’s fiancé drowned while bathing in a river. She never married during her next 50 or so years. The first female hymn writer to rise to popularity, many of her hymns are characterized by lament. “These kinds of songs help us make sense of our world, one of tsunamis and AIDS,” Dan says. She’s a Job figure. “She lived well in that kind of mystery,” Dan continues. “Through her words we are able to say things like, ‘God is still good in the midst of my suffering. The gospel still meets me here. Salvation still meets me here. Mercy and grace still find a valid home in the midst of my pain and frustration.’ Where does that kind of faith come from? None of us can imagine a life like hers, yet, for some reason her suffering created a rooted faith. That made us gravitate toward some of Anne Steele’s hymns.” (Jars Of Clay)