EXALTED ABOVE MEASURE
Imagine being exalted above measure.
Have you ever looked up at another person, maybe even someone you know, who was being given a very high honor and who was being highly esteemed by all and wondered what it must feel like?
Do you know….are you aware of the fact that you and I are being exalted above measure every day?
It’s true, we are. Many are just not aware of it.
Would it change your life if you WERE aware of it? If so, HOW?
(Hold that thought.)
It is one of the greatest mysteries of all time not in the sense of one that is solved and the perpetrator is identified.
It is a mystery that, with our little finite minds, we earthlings can know about but will never fully comprehend, at least in this life.
What is this mystery? Spoiler alert. You already know.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)
You say, Yes, yes, I know that. But where is the mystery? And what does this have to do with me being exalted beyond measure?
The mystery lies in the WHY in the incomprehensible act of one being so loving another so UNloveable being.
It all began with the greatest of all acts of love..when God chose to create a creature He could love and whom He created to love Him back.
And why? Well, in truth, He had no choice. GOD IS LOVE. (1 John 4:8)
He not only created this creature but He created the most incredible place for him to live, gave him what had to be a drop dead gorgeous creature to live with him so he would not be alone, provided for his and her every need and gave them the ability to choose to love Him back. No bad deal.
This man-creature declined. In sum, they gave their Creator the bird. And we know the rest of the story. Not good!
The rest of the story? Well, not quite. (While clearly she is warming up, the fat lady has not sung yet.)
(BTW, still holding the thought.)
How then is it that I am being exalted above measure every single day?
A part of the answer lies in the following passage from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippian church.
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bond-servant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil. 2:5-11)
The rest of the answer lies in the SON (and what He did) and in my relationship with the SON.
When I lift Him up, I am lifted up to Him. When He is exalted, I am exalted.
And how is that?
There is a mathematical equation that says: things that are equal to the same thing are equal to each other.
OK. (And yes, I’m still holding the thought.) You are saying that If I lift Him up, then I too will be lifted up?
YES!
“So how do I lift Him up?
It’s when YOU AND I ARE WILLING TO DO what HE DID that resulted in HIM being exalted above measure. (See the passage above.)
You mean I must be willing to humbly submit myself to Him?; to nail my self-seeking, self-pleasing, it’s-all-about-me-self to the Cross? To be obedient even unto the death of all myself? To be willing to be of no reputation? To become a bondservant? (Sorry, I think I am losing the thought because) I.CAN’T. DO. THAT! No way!
Well of course YOU can’t. No one can. None of us can. ALONE. (Oh, how important this is.)
In Matthew 11, verses John 12, verse 32, we have these words from Jesus:
Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly of heart and you shall find rest unto your souls.
Then Jesus said these words in the Gospels of John, Matthew, Luke, and Hebrews. .
“I’ll be with you always, even to the end of time.
I will never leave you nor forsake you.
I will not leave you as orphans.
All you have to do is ask, seek, and knock and whatever you ask in my name, believing, I will give you.
“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!
On a personal note, when I first tried to grasp this, I just threw up my hands and said Sorry, this is too difficult for me. It’s too much too much to do, too much to believe, won’t ever happen. But I was wrong.
When in my heart, I wanted to at least begin the process of doing what He did, and I trusted Him to help me do it, He did.
NOTE: With Jesus it was an event. With you and me it is a daily process of taking up our own Crosses, and following Him.(Luke 9:23)
Am I doing it as perfectly as He did? No, I am not. In fact, He does not expect me to. He gave His ALL. All He expects of me is that I be willing to give my ALL...and trust Him to help me do it.
When I did, He did.
And I realized I was truly being exalted above measure…..BY HIM.
(Still holding the thought?)
How did it change my life? My life has never been the same. PBTG!
OH, REALLY? Hm…