You'll Lift; He'll Draw

And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.

John 12:32

The promise Jesus makes in the Gospel of John today to His disciples is a promise of simplicity and a promise of power… The simple task we have (which isn’t actually that simple given our sinful nature and natural desires) is to lift up Jesus and it is through this very act that the power comes through His exaltation which “will draw all men unto him…” This very passage recorded in the 12^th chapter is the key to our life on this earth and serves as a great tool of witnessing for those who do not know Christ or have gone astray... As a Christian we have the faith that Christ is the center of our being. This says that if we lift him up, He will draw. In all things focus on Him; continue to lift His name above your pain and suffering, lift Him in you worry and tribulation, exalt Him during your storms; knowing that if you focus on Him, He will bring you out. He will deliver you from the muck and mire; and you will be just like a tree planted by the waters; you shall not be moved!!! When something is lifted it is exalted, raised or elevated above. This speaks to the true heart of a Christian! It is very easy to praise God when you or your family and friends are blessed, but is His name lifted in and through your life when storms rise? Is He receiving your praise when tribulations come knocking on your door? Christ is posing a thought to us today, “if I be lifted up…” 

He is seeking for you to lift Him above every situation; He wants you to speak His name over every obstacle and blessing you incur or encounter… Don’t lose sight of God’s goodness and the power that lies in the name of Jesus! The word “if” implies that a choice must be made; so many lives have been lost, and so many paths have been unaltered because people are scared to lift up Jesus… When trials come, when a family member goes astray, we are to focus on God and not the situation… When we lift up Jesus, He promises that He will draw… It doesn’t matter how far they have gone, it doesn’t matter how many mistakes you have made; when you lift Him up He will draw and bind every broken piece back together… I was once told that we should never tell God how big our storm is, but that we should tell the storm how big our God is… Today learn to focus on Jesus knowing that He will draw you out and plant you feet on solid ground… Again, Jesus says that if we lift Him up, He will draw all men unto Him… There are some of us whose children are straying from God’s will, some of our friends have been struck by the hand of the evil one, some of the people closest to us have chosen the wrong road to travel… Jesus is saying to you today, if you want your child to turn “lift Him up,” if you want that friend to be planted on solid ground “lift Him up,” if you want a Damascus road experience for that close loved one in your life “lift Him up…” We know what happened when Jesus was lifted up on the cross, a thief was saved and many who didn’t’ believe begin to believe… 

Also on the cross when He hung His head the veil of the temple was torn in two, there was a mighty earthquake in the land, darkness filled the earth and a certain centurion was convinced that “surely, He was the son of God…” When Jesus rose (was lifted up by His father) all power was given to Him on earth and in heaven… When you lift Him up spiritually you plead His blood over every circumstance, you plead His blood over every stronghold and you focus on the Master instead of the problem… It doesn’t matter how bad things appear to be, it doesn’t matter how dim the situation may seem, “all power is in His hands…”  John 14:14 tells us that whatever we ask in the name of Jesus will be given unto us… We ask and shall receive when He is lifted up… We must prioritize our life and focus our praise toward the heavens… When Jesus is lifted, He will draw… By lifting His name, not only will He save the lost, but He will make the vision plain for your life, He will sketch the plans of His will for you and make the course that you are to travel clearer everyday that you lift His name! So lift up the name of Jesus so that things can begin to change, lives can be altered and your path can be defined!!!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!