Card received Bachelor's and Master’s degrees in Religious Studies from Western Kentucky University. His studies in physics and astronomy allowed him to support himself while a student by working for six years at a planetarium. As of 2005, he is working on a Ph.D. in Classical Literature.
I will Arise and Go to Jesus / Musical Priest
Michael Card Lyrics
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Weak and wounded, sick and sore;
Jesus ready stands to save you,
Full of pity, love and power.
Come, ye thirsty, come and welcome,
God's free bounty glorify;
True belief and true repentance,
Ev'ry grace that brings you nigh.
He will embrace me in His arms;
In the arms of my dear Savior,
O there are ten thousand charms.
Come, ye weary, heavy laden,
Lost and ruined by the fall;
If you tarry till you're better,
You will never come at all.
I will arise and go to Jesus,
He will embrace me in His arms;
In the arms of my dear Savior,
O there are ten thousand charms.
The lyrics to Michael Card's song "I Will Arise and Go to Jesus / Musical Priest" are a call to those who are struggling and in need of salvation. It speaks directly to sinners who are poor, weak, wounded, sick, and thirsty, inviting them to come and receive the love and power of Jesus Christ. The song emphasizes that it doesn't matter how lost and ruined a person may feel, Jesus is ready and willing to save them if they only come to Him with true belief and true repentance. The chorus repeats the phrase "I will arise and go to Jesus," emphasizing the importance of taking action and not waiting until one feels they are better to come to Jesus.
Line by Line Meaning
Come, ye sinners, poor and needy,
Those who are poor and needy, sinners who are weak and wounded, sick and sore are invited to come to Jesus.
Jesus ready stands to save you,
Jesus is ready to save you from your sins.
Full of pity, love and power.
Jesus is full of pity, love, and power to forgive us.
Come, ye thirsty, come and welcome,
All who are thirsty for God are invited to come and receive God's free bounty.
God's free bounty glorify;
We can glorify God by gratefully accepting His free gift.
True belief and true repentance,
Believing in God and truly repenting for one's sins brings one closer to God.
Ev'ry grace that brings you nigh.
Every grace that brings us closer to God.
I will arise and go to Jesus,
I will go to Jesus and ask for His forgiveness.
He will embrace me in His arms;
Jesus will embrace us with open arms and forgive us.
In the arms of my dear Savior,
Being embraced by Jesus, our dear Savior.
O there are ten thousand charms.
There are countless blessings and benefits that come from being close to Jesus.
Come, ye weary, heavy laden,
Those who are burdened and tired are invited to come to Jesus.
Lost and ruined by the fall;
We are lost sinners in need of forgiveness because of Adam and Eve's original sin in the Garden of Eden.
If you tarry till you're better,
If you wait until you think you're good enough,
You will never come at all.
You will never come to God.
Writer(s): joseph hart
Contributed by Gabriel E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.