Beautiful Feet.
I pick my toenails. I'm not one to do clippers much. Just pick and rip honestly. Kind of gross huh? True confessions. I'm not really drawn to anyone's feet besides Lea's. I'm crazy about her, so I'm drawn. I think for most people, feet are not the most often chosen finish after the word beautiful. They're just not. Feet are amazing for sure, the way Papa created them and has us use them, but all at once also smelly, dirty, rough and at the bottom of us.
But the Word speaks the words, beautiful feet. That's where we're headed.
As I'm learning along the way through the armor of God, I have come to the feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace. I was struck this week as I studied, that right smack in the middle of 2 pieces of armor already strapped on (belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness) and just before 3 pieces to take up on demand (shield of faith, helmet of salvation, sword of the Spirit) is peace. Peace right in the midst of armor that is issued for battle living. Why? How? Jesus literally says that He is our peace, that He gives us His peace (Ephesians 2:14, John 14:27). That's how there is the potential for peace in the guts of battle living. I'm not always living that peace, though it's always real and available IN me.
I sovereignly stumbled onto learning about this peace this week as I studied in the bible book of Isaiah, chapter 52, verses 1 through 7. I love this.
In each of the first 6 verses of Isaiah chapter 52, I see battle living depicted. The throes of evil and the whispers of redemption living swirled together. That seems to be what life is like much of the time. A swirl of holy, hard
living that belongs because anything worth fighting for is worth fighting for. Thus, battle living. Listen for the cunning evil. And listen for the redemption whispers....
Cunning evil-
verse 1- The Zion people have been defiled (by themselves and others)
verse 2- They are chained, enslaved (by themselves and others)
verse 3- They sold themselves for nothing, no valuing (by themselves and others)
verse 4- They are oppressed (by themselves and others)
verse 5-6- They are mocked (by themselves and others)
By themselves and others. Sadly, many times we participate in our own voluntary slavery.
Ahhh, but listen for the growing whispers of redemption in the same verses-
verse 1- Clothe yourself with strength, put on the garments of splendor (clothes of beauty and glory, bride clothes!)
verse 2- Sit enthroned O Jerusalem (because you're royalty, the people of the King!)
verse 3- You will be redeemed (money is of no consequence for your life to be ransomed!)
verse 4- You are meant to LIVE (Live as My people!)
verse 5-6- My people will know My name (Listen to Me speak My name over you!)
There is that holy, hard swirl mixed in with every sentence. However, redemption whispers demolish evil ranting.
And what do these redemption whispers sound like? Verse 7 paints a gloriously beautiful and hopeful sight and sound. The sight and sound of beautiful, stepping feet and a proclaiming mouth. "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, YOUR GOD REIGNS!"
Yes Lord. YOU bring, proclaim, bring, proclaim. YOU REIGN! And you invite other hearts to do the same. You and I today, dear friend are invited to bring, proclaim, bring, proclaim....good news, peace, good tidings, salvation. We say to a starving, listening world, those following the King and those not....
YOUR GOD REIGNS!
And if He's not your God, He can be! Call on the name of the Lord and be saved!
Oh, how we long for peace in this troubled world. Oh, how we long for peace in this troubled heart. How beautiful is the King who brings us the good news of the proclamation of peace. "Rest my love, you're mine." How beautiful are the feet of those who love like the King and bring the good news of peace to our needy hearts.
Beautiful King.
Beautiful news.
Beautiful words.
Beautiful reign.
Beautiful peace.
Beautiful feet.
There's more.