Beautiful Feet
Feet. If you ask me, they're pretty gross. Maybe that's just the medical experience talking. Whether you're a sandal person, or your feet never leave their leather cocoons of comfort, it's unbelievably hard to keep healthy and clean. Fungi, bacteria, infections, cracked heels, peeling toenails, ingrown nail beds... Are you grossed out too? I figured.
And yet our distaste is mild compared to someone from the Middle East. In a dusty land where sandals are the normal footwear, feet look pretty rough. Remember when a random Iraqi shoe almost met former president Bush's nose in a political rally? That was the worst possible insult he could have received. I know of a Syrian professor who was absolutely appalled when one of his students propped his feet on the professor's desk. Complete disrespect. "Go to the hot place. See if I care."
"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns!" Isaiah 52:7 NLT
It struck me tonight just what this verse means. When we carry good news to a crying world, the deepest, darkest, moldiest part of us is beautiful. God thinks our feet are beautiful!
The God of galaxies smiles at our dusty feet scurrying to share His love.
He loves us from head to toe. Our dreams, our plans, our measly strength and dogged courage. He loves our love, because that too He gave us. And our feet.
Doesn't He know where they've been? What they've stepped in? What filthy secrets they hold?
Yes, He does. And He loves them too because even they are walking on His path. His news, His road, His children.
So today, and everyday, remember that God thinks you have beautiful feet. Live with that knowledge. Use your feet to tell the world that God redeems every corner of human lives.
And yet our distaste is mild compared to someone from the Middle East. In a dusty land where sandals are the normal footwear, feet look pretty rough. Remember when a random Iraqi shoe almost met former president Bush's nose in a political rally? That was the worst possible insult he could have received. I know of a Syrian professor who was absolutely appalled when one of his students propped his feet on the professor's desk. Complete disrespect. "Go to the hot place. See if I care."
"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns!" Isaiah 52:7 NLT
It struck me tonight just what this verse means. When we carry good news to a crying world, the deepest, darkest, moldiest part of us is beautiful. God thinks our feet are beautiful!
The God of galaxies smiles at our dusty feet scurrying to share His love.
He loves us from head to toe. Our dreams, our plans, our measly strength and dogged courage. He loves our love, because that too He gave us. And our feet.
Doesn't He know where they've been? What they've stepped in? What filthy secrets they hold?
Yes, He does. And He loves them too because even they are walking on His path. His news, His road, His children.
So today, and everyday, remember that God thinks you have beautiful feet. Live with that knowledge. Use your feet to tell the world that God redeems every corner of human lives.
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