Up, up and away

How many of you can relate to the image of a Father raising his son or daughter up on his shoulders to see over a crowd. I don't remember an exact event that this happened to me but i'm sure that is has. Watching the Thanksgiving Macy's Day parade for years, it is an image I have seen many times, a small child on the shoulders of his father, watching over the crowds in front of him, grinning from ear to ear as the festivities roll down the street.

This image came to mind this morning as I was searching scripture. My sister had asked me to make some placecards for a tea her church is having (making handmade cards is one of my hobbies). On the back of all the cards I make I print a scripture...and I came across the following:
I shall lift up the cup of salvation and call on the Lord by name.
Psalm 116:13
It seemed to be very appropriate to put on the back of my teapots.. it is simple and short and yet it has great depth.

What really stuck out to me was the part "lift up". I started thinking about how many times I have crossed those words in scripture. I looked it up in my concordance and found that there are at least 500 scriptures that deal with "lift up, lifting, lifted"...all meaning pretty much the same thing... to cause to enter upward, to bear, to carry, to draw up.

And the scriptures tell us what we are to "lift up" or enter upward... our eyes,our hands, our voices, our heads, our hearts, our minds, our spirits. He commands us to "lift up" to Him our cares and concerns, our love, our devotion, our thanksgiving. And God did alot up "lifting up"..he lifted up winds, waves, rain, cedar trees, living creature, rod and staffs, spears, the ark and nations, angels and the dead.

Do you notice a pattern here? Everything...everything that has been touched by His mighty hand, all of creation, everything we are, possess and desire is to be "lifted up", given back to our Father in heaven. And because he is our loving Father, the same as that father who lifted up his child to see over the crowd, he will "lifted up" our burdens, cares, desires, hopes....He will carry them, He will bear them. As He 'lifts up" our concerns and desires, He "lifts up" us...He draws up near to Him, protecting us, comforting us, teaching us and leading us.

And one last thing that is the most important...the next time you read the words "lift up" let your mind picture a father lifting up his son....the most important Father, the Father Almighty, lifting his son, Jesus Christ, up to and upon the cross. Do not stop the imagery there, envision the son, Christ, lifting up his arms, overflowing with the sins of all.... past, present and future...lifting them up to heaven for gving us the gift of salvation, mercy, and peace.

Jesus said,"This voice was for our benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world, now the prince of this world will be driven out. But I, when lifted up from earth, will draw all men to myself."
John 12:30-32