John 8:28-29 (Amplified)
So Jesus added, When you have lifted up the Son of Man [on the cross], you will realize (know, understand) that I am He [for Whom you look] and that I do nothing of Myself (of My own accord or on My own authority), but I say [exactly] what My Father has taught Me. And He Who sent Me is ever with Me; My Father has not left Me alone, for I always do what pleases Him.
The crowd had become stifling as everyone pressed in waiting for the magical parade to begin. As with everything else they do, Walt Disney World offers grand parades filled with lights, music and fanfare-filled fantasy that will bring smiles to the young and old with wide-eyed expectation and joy. But right now that was not the case, in the moments before it would begin the hot summer afternoon with sweltering heat despite oncoming darkness had caused much agitation. People crammed together down an avenue for the best position to enjoy the live animation that would soon march and dance by. Two little girls were quite restless as they waited but all that melted away for one as she promptly fell asleep while the other strained on tiptoes to see a glimpse of just one princess. Suddenly the music began in all its glory and panic gripped her little face. “I can’t see! I can’t see!” She cried! The crowd multiplied if possible and the crush was incredible. As she strained, she felt herself being lifted and her feet planted squarely on a nearby trash receptacle. Hands braced her tiny body as pure joy flooded her face!
The most precious words ever spoken were heard with breathless wonder as she said, “Mommy, I see a “real” princess!” For the rest of the parade, she would point to things unseen by those around her that only she could see from her standpoint. In the heat of the evening, anxiously hoping just to survive and not faint, people experienced joy through the eyes of a child who saw from a new view that which they could not! As for the little girl, she became unaware of the strains and struggles below because it was all clearly before her now. She had moved higher!
The view from the top is always more clear than that of the many stops along the way. Jesus referred to the cross when He said,” When you have lifted up the Son of Man, you will understand…” There is a new level of understanding that comes from a higher perspective. When we lift the Name of Jesus Christ up in our life, it gives us a new vantage point to view the world. When we long to see the Prince of Peace as a little child desired to see a princess, it requires a higher viewpoint free from the distractions. Today is temporary but God’s Kingdom is eternal. It is forever meaning it exists today and tomorrow and the next day. To get there, we must go higher. How do you do that? By lifting up the Name of Jesus Christ as a banner over your life and setting a standard of daily praise and worship where it is impossible not to do so, you are moved to where He is! It creates a platform for you to see through the His Eyes! Easily consumed by the pressures of this world and pressed by the anxiety and stress of day-to-day living making it impossible to see beyond the next five minutes, Jesus has extended His Hand from Heaven and is gently tugging your arm to come up where He is. It was all God’s Plan that we dwell in His Kingdom even before we inhabit it.
When we choose to see things through the eyes of Jesus by applying His Life, Principles, Name and Example to every single situation faced will move us to a higher level of understanding and insight. The small things in life become indiscernible and insignificant. The big things such as purpose, calling and others begin to clearly stand out as priorities. Just as Jesus Christ experienced the Presence of His Father every day, we too can experience supernatural peace, comfort, discernment and power by simply choosing to lift the Name of Jesus Higher – to glorify Him in our life and make it a point to praise Him above all else. This creates a higher vantage point for life that is not affected by pressure and chaos.
I John 4:13-16 (Message)
This is how we know we’re living steadily and deeply in him, and he in us: He’s given us life from his life, from his very own Spirit. Also, we’ve seen for ourselves and continue to state openly that the Father sent his Son as Savior of the world. Everyone who confesses that Jesus is God’s Son participates continuously in an intimate relationship with God. We know it so well, we’ve embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God.
Those who continually confess the Identity of Jesus Christ will live an existence higher than that of the natural world. Circumstances that once threatened to overtake you seem insignificant and small. Situations that produced anxiety now cause us to dissolve in His Grace as we surrender. Lift Jesus up today! Whether in casual conversation or from a proverbial rooftop proclaim our Lord. It will create a new level of living for anyone willing to step away from the crowd to experience all that the Lord offers where He is! Join Him today! Move up! Lift Jesus higher!
