I Will Lift Up My Eyes

This song--written for the Shalom G2 ensemble to sing on May 30, 2010, in UECM--reflects a spontaneous spirit of praise. The singer does not pause to ponder deep lyrics or climb dramatic musical leaps. Yet he sings with passion...that God alone is glorious and worthy of his praise. Find other songs by G2 here.


Verse 1:
I will lift up my eyes into Your glory,
I will lift up my voice to sing Your praise,
And as I lift up my eyes into Your radiance,
I can't help but say...

Chorus:
You...alone are glorious.
You...alone we praise.
You...alone we'll follow,
Follow You all of our days.

Verse 2:
I will lift up my eyes to see Your beauty,
I will life up my hands in joyous praise,
And as I lift up my life, a living offering,
I can't help but say...

Verse 3:
I will lift up my eyes with joy to Calvary,
I will lift up my heart in endless praise,
And as I lift up my hopes upon Your promises,
I can't help but say...

If I Could Sing

Sometimes...the beauty of a song is not in its craftsmanship, but in the memories of how it is written. This is one of those "spontaneous" pieces of praise that simply came out over some ice cream and laughter. Sometimes...these pieces are lost soon after they're written. But lucky for me, this simple chorus has remained a part of me =)

If I could sing, I would sing You a new song,
If I could sing, I would sing all day long;
If I could sing, I would sing to every day,
If I could sing, I would praise You all the way.
For in You, we have love,
For in You, we have peace.
If I could sing, I would sing You a new song,
If I could sing, I would sing all day long.

More Than a Song

I typed down these lyrics on the breakfast table at my cousin's house almost a year ago. The words were soon set to music by my cousin Theo, although I still haven't heard the whole piece myself. For now, this song is a reminder for me to not merely sing praises with my lips, but to pour out my life for my Lord and my God.

Verse 1:
More than a song, with my life I will worship,
All the day long, with my being I'll sing;
Be it heart, be it soul, be it all that I own,
I will live, I will give You alone.

Chorus:
Praise You, O Lord, I will praise You in the morning,
Praise You, O Lord, I will praise You in the night,
Praise You, O Lord, every moment I am living,
Praise You, O Lord, praise with all my might.

Verse 2:
More than a feeling, with rev'rence I worship,
Humbly I'm kneeling, before You to sing,
Be it now, be it then, be it then and again,
I will raise, I will praise You alone.

Bridge:
Over and over the years,
Giving You all that I am,
Freed from all trembling and fear,
Praising You all that I can...

Psalm 138

If I am not mistaken, this was my very first complete versification work, completed seven years ago or so. As an aspiring poet, I became inspired by Isaac Watts' compositions, and I tried my hand with the activity as soon as I got the chance.

I praise You, Lord, with all my heart,
Before all gods I sing;
I bow towards Your holy place
And praise You, faithful King.

You’ve lifted up above all things
Your word and wondrous name;
You’ve answered me and strengthened me,
The kings Your praise proclaim.

All earthly kings must hear Your word,
They sing Your holy ways;
Your glory is magnificent,
I’ll praise You all my days.

Though lifted high above all things,
You look on humble men;
The proud You shun from far away
And turn not back again.

Though hazards cover all my life,
My soul You still preserve;
My enemies You crumble down
As they justly deserve.

Your hand brings me deliverance,
This promise I believe;
Your love forever will endure,
Your presence I”ll perceive.

Creation's Ensemble

This is one of my more playful, though supposedly grand, compositions. It is not technically superior, but the personification and imagery capture the imagination. Besides, it resounds with one of my personal favorite phrases. What's not to like?

Verse 1:
Oh let the birds chirp out in chorus,
Let the leaves whisper their song,
Oh let the hills resound their voices
In high praises all day long;
Oh let the brook repeat its laughter,
Let the pebbles sweetly sing,
Oh let creation’s grand ensemble
Raise its praises to our King.

Chorus:
Let creation join in worship,
Let all mankind raise its voice,
Let us marvel in His goodness,
And in unity rejoice.
Let us marvel in His goodness,
And in unity rejoice.

Verse 2:
Oh let the ocean roar its assent,
Let the waves break forth with joy,
Oh let the sunshine glow in worship
As the earth its warmth enjoy;
Oh let the breeze howl adoration
Let the dolphins’ voices ring,
Oh let creation’s grand ensemble
Raise its praises to our King.

Bridge:
For every rock, and tree, and creature
Stands a testimony of
God’s miracles in nature
And echoes of His love.

No Eye Has Seen

These are the lyrics to the song we sang this afternoon for our grandfather's 70th birthday thanksgiving service. Building upon my favorite Bible verse, this song describes how wonderful human deeds and thoughts can be...but still be incomparable to what the Lord has prepared for those who love Him. Amazing, isn't it?

Verse 1:
The architect may draw his scale,
The doctor help his frail,
The navigator hoist his sail,
The author write his tale.
Yet none of them could ever show
The wonders of His hand,
For what the Lord has done for us
No man can understand.

Chorus:
No eye has seen,
No ear has heard,
No mind has e’er conceived
What Jesus Christ
Has long prepared
For those who have believed.

Verse 2:
Musicians write their symphonies,
The lawyer makes his pleas,
While tycoons plant their companies,
Philanthropists their trees.
Yet none of them could ever show
The wonders of His hand,
For what the Lord has done for us
No man can understand.

Bridge:
Who can understand His ways,
So higher than our own?
Who can fathom His intent,
Except Himself alone?

Arise and Sing, Ye Children of God

This is probably the very first hymn I ever wrote. At age 13, I read a novel on hymn appreciation and consequently wrote this simple composition. It's not a perfect work. The thoughts are vague and the meter inconsistent. But even if only for nostalgia's sake, I treasure this hymn in my memory.

Arise and sing, ye children of God,
Bring forth great praises to Him;
He is our Lord, our Savior, our Rock,
Come praise Him from deep within.

His glory expands to all of the earth,
His blessings abundant still;
Return unto Him, whom glory is due,
Great praises with all goodwill.

Almighty god, Creator of all,
Receive now our humble praise;
Thou art the God of spirit and truth,
To Thee our voices we raise.

Solomon's Prayer

I am both surprised and thankful when I realize that it has already been almost a year since we dedicated our new church building to God. When I recall that event, my mind goes back to Solomon at the dedication of the Jerusalem temple, and I long to declare along with Him, "Blessed are You, Lord."

Verse 1:
Almighty, there is none like You
in heaven or on earth,
You’ve shown Your lovingkindness as
the God of endless worth;
You promised countless blessings to
the people who obeyed
And You fulfilled them—every one—
until this very day.

Chorus:
Blessed be the Lord,
who guards the ones He loves,
Blessed be the Lord,
may He abide with us.
May He incline our hearts to Him,
to walk in all His ways,
May our devotion be to Him
until the end of days.

Verse 2:
O Lord, this house cannot contain
the glory of Your face,
Yet we beseech that You descend
among us in this place;
Please listen to our prayers and
forgive our sins today.
Please bless the righteous ones who chose
Your truth to be their way.

Bridge:
Our Father, please empower us
to share Your glorious name
That all the peoples of the earth
may give to You acclaim.

Chorus:
Blessed are You Lord,
You guard the ones You love,
Blessed are You Lord,
may You abide with us,
May You incline our hearts to You,
to walk in all Your ways,
May our devotion be to You
until the end of days.

More Than Gracious

Just a few days before the dedication of our new church building, I was tidying the house with a smile on my lips and glad thankfulness in my heart. As I carried the boxes around, the phrase "You are more than gracious to me" came effortlessly from my lips. Indeed, God is more than wonderful, more than amazing, and more than gracious to us. With gratitude and awe overflowing from my soul, I completed the song that very day.


Every time I look upon
All the blessings from above,
I can't help but wonder why You love me so.
All the sustenance and grace,
Every kind and smiling face,
Tell the care and tenderness that I must know.

Chorus:
For You are more than gracious to me
Every day and through the years,
Carrying through my joyous hours
As well as silent tears;
For You are more than gracious to me
More than I can ever tell;
Jesus Christ, Emmanuel,
My Savior, Lord, and King.

Every time I think about
All the mercies of Your love,
I will see the low unworthiness in me.
How You died on Calvary
So I'll live eternally
Is forever sacred in my memory.

Zion, Call Forth Every Soul

This is a piece that grew in its writing. Although a few sentences may yet need to be refined, I enjoy this little work for the fun that it gave me in writing it. I'm glad I managed to pass on the letter Q, but I had no choice but to compromise with letter X.

Almighty Sovereign, He is King
Beyond the farthest lands;
Come follow Him, all tribes and tongue,
Do heed His each command;
Eternal God, He reigns on high,
Forever glorious,
God over every universe,
High King o’er each of us;
Immortal Master of the earth,
Just, pure, omnipotent,
Kind, merciful, and full of grace,
Lamb, sacrificed for men;
More fair than roses in the field,
Ne’er shadowed by the sun,
Omniscient, searching mind and heart,
Perfector, God’s own Son;
Queen Sheba’s jewels fade ‘fore Him,
Rich magi bow their knee,
Such is the wonder of our King,
True, mighty majesty;
Unfathomable, never seen,
Voiced by creation’s best,
With gratefulness and joyous song,
eXalt Him from within.
Yet mighty God though He may be, He lends the weary rest.
Zion, call forth every soul, and praise Him with thy best!

The Christian's Praise

This is one of my earliest poems. After struggling with meter and style during my preteen years, I finally managed to complete this poem for our church bulletin. I had rejoiced over the fact that Jesus' life was set against places all with three-sylable names, and I quickly used that observation for a poem. I personally love this poem for its pure, simple, but glorious theme. There are no doubts, no shadows, and no grievances. This poem was written out of childlike faith, celebrating the wonder of Christ's life.

Long, long ago, in Bethlehem,
There lay a child in heav’nly peace
The angels sang of His dear birth,
The hosts declared of sorrows ceased.

Long, long ago, in Nazareth,
There grew a boy so pure and kind.
The people praised His tender heart,
The teachers marveled at His mind.

Long, long ago in Galilee,
There stayed a man with wisdom true.
The people gathered unto him,
The blind and lame He healed anew.

Long, long ago, on Calvary,
There died a King by God’s design.
The crowds demanded for His death,
The loyal friends’ sworn faith declined.

Three long days passed, then suddenly,
The buried man returned to life.
Redemption was completed then,
Man’s souls were ever freed from strife.

Today and onwards, up in heav’n,
Lord Jesus reigns by God’s right hand.
The righteous stand in reverence,
The Christians praise throughout the land.