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 12th 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!!!
BE BLESSED!!!
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