Category Archives: Feet

Close-up of feet with multiple dark spots and uneven skin tone
Bible, Feet, Gospel, Isaiah, Romans, Salvation, Scripture

BEAUTIFUL FEET? REALLY?

ROMANS 10:15

“But how are they to preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written: ‘HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!’”

My wife and I were just having a discussion about feet the other night. Some commercial on tv had shown some rather ugly feet to try to sell a product, and we both remarked how ugly most feet are. Now, you may disagree. You may think they are pretty. Well, you haven’t seen mine, lol. I was kissing my granddaughter’s feet the other day, much to her delight. I would agree that her feet are cute, but they still have that baby smell.

Paul reverts back to Isaiah again in today’s verse, this time to Isaiah 52:7. He leaves out some of the imagery of the Hebrew text, so I thought I would give you the whole verse. “How delightful on the mountains are the feet of one who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of happiness, who announces salvation, and says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” One scholarly source says this about Paul’s use of this passage. “The whole chapter of Isaiah from which this is taken, and the three that follow, are so richly Messianic, that there can be no doubt ‘the glad tidings’ there spoken of announce a more glorious release than of Judah from the Babylonish captivity, and the very feet of its preachers are called ‘beautiful’ for the sake of their message.” (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary)

APPLICATION

Can you just picture the scene of a distant runner bringing news from the battlefront? Of course, they couldn’t see the runner’s feet. What made the feet so beautiful was the message they were carrying. Jesus’ feet were nail-scarred, but oh, how beautiful they were. Those feet represented God’s promise of redemption to all mankind through the life and death of Jesus, His Son.

Now, we are entrusted with that same message of redemption. Our feet will be deemed beautiful, not because of the lack of bunions or callouses. They will be beautiful feet because they carry the message of the cross. Ephesians 6:15 mentions our feet in the armor of God passage. “and having strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of peace;” And look at Nahum 1:15, “Behold, on the mountains, the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace! Celebrate your feasts, Judah, Pay your vows. For never again will the wicked one pass through you; He is eliminated completely.”

Our feet were made for walking. What better thing to carry on our walk than the Gospel message. Who can you deliver it to today? We all know someone who needs to hear it, don’t we? Let’s be about our Father’s business and use our feet for good. Amen?

Bless my feet today, O Lord, as I seek ways to deliver Your good news to others.

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Bible, Feet, Gospel, Peace, Scripture, Witnessing

A GOOD PAIR OF SHOES

EPHESIANS 6:15

“and having strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of peace;”

My dad used to say there was nothing more important than a good pair of shoes. He had a big foot. He wore an 11 EEE. He was very flatfooted and actually was discharged from the army because his feet couldn’t take the marches. He ordered his shoes from a company. So, when I had to start getting special shoes because of my neuropathy, I thought of him. He would have probably had some good advice for me on this. I sure do miss him. In fact, today is his birthday. Happy birthday, Dad.

Paul had been around enough soldiers in his life to know the importance of their footwear. Roman soldiers wore these special shoes (sandals) in battle that had spikes so they could secure their feet when fighting. I think it is interesting that Paul says we need to strap on our feet “the preparation of the gospel of peace” while perhaps thinking of these Roman shoes. That’s just a guess, though. He definitely knew that footwear was important.

APPLICATION

I thought of Romans 10:15 when I read today’s verse. “But how are they to preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written: ‘HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!’” This is a quote from Isaiah 52:7 which says, “How delightful on the mountains are the feet of one who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of happiness, who announces salvation, and says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’”

In Mark 6:7-13, we have the story of when Jesus sent out the twelve disciples in pairs. Even He emphasized strapping on their shoes or sandals. Look at this passage and see how it compares with our verse today. “7 And He summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits; 8 and He instructed them that they were to take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belt— 9 but to wear sandals; and He added, ‘Do not wear two tunics.’ 10 And He said to them, ‘Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave town. 11 Any place that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake the dust off the soles of your feet as a testimony against them.’ 12 And they went out and preached that people are to repent. 13 And they were casting out many demons and were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them.”

How does that compare to strapping on your shoes of peace we see today in our verse? The disciples were delivering the gospel to lost souls. We are delivering the gospel to lost souls. We need to do it in peace, not arrogantly. We deliver it. They receive it or not. Are you strapped today, not as in carrying a gun, lol. I mean, do you have your gospel shoes on?

Father, thank You for providing me the right pair of shoes.

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