I don’t know about you, but at one time I thought one of the least interesting parts of the human anatomy were feet. I don’t mean to be offensive, but I have never seen feet that I thought were beautiful. Feet are functional, but I wouldn’t call them beautiful. If you study feet, you will be amazed to discover how important they are to your very existence.
Our feet will carry us the equivalent of five times around the earth in an average lifespan.
Yet, we barely pay attention to them.
Did you know that if you were to lose just a little toe on one foot, you would have to learn to walk all over again?
Ask any doctor how important feet are. Doctors have known for thousands of years that feet are actually mirrors of our health. Many times, signs of diabetes, arthritis, circulatory or neurological diseases often appear first in your feet.
The foot consists of 26 bones, all of which are vital to balancing the body and giving the body the ability to walk. Have you ever thought about how one-foot problem can literally stop you dead in your tracks? Corns, bunions, athlete’s foot, gout, ingrown toenails, turf toe, heel spurs and stress fractures can literally put you in a wheelchair.
Can you guess the number one cause of foot problems? Wearing shoes that don’t fit properly.
The prophet Isaiah tells us something about God and feet.
Believe it or not, God thinks that feet are beautiful.
“How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of happiness, who announces salvation, and says to Zion, “Your God reigns” (Isaiah 52:7, NASB)!
God thinks feet are beautiful
Not primarily because of how they look, but because of where they can go.
God says the feet of anyone who is willing to go anywhere and share with anybody the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ are beautiful feet.
Whether your feet carry you across the street or around the world to share your story of how Christ has changed your life, your feet will make God happy when you take a step toward being on mission for Him. Look at your feet, think of your feet, and let your feet remind you of several things.
I. Our Feet Remind Us We Have A Message To Share
The feet that are described as being “beautiful” in this verse are the feet of one that “brings good news, peace, good news of happiness and salvation.” What I just described for you is the missionary message–the gospel is “good news.” “Peace” is the result of hearing this good news because salvation brings peace with God and a peace of God. “Good news of happiness” refers to the goodness of God that provides this salvation and “salvation” is the core of our message.
Think about this. Who needs “good news,” “peace,” “good news of happiness,” and “salvation”–the answer is easy–everybody!
Neither geographical distance, nor language barriers, nor cultural differences should stop our feet from carrying the gospel to those who need to hear it. Every person on earth, regardless of their race, wealth, education, position or influence needs to hear the good news about the love of God and the salvation that comes through Jesus Christ.
II. Our Feet Remind Us We Have A Mission To Fulfill
Isaiah does not speak here of the beauty of the eyes or the lips or the hands. He speaks of the beauty of the feet. It is one thing to see the need of a world that is without Christ. It is another thing to know that the Word of God is the answer. It is important to serve God where we are, but none of these things matter if we do not go to where people need to hear the gospel and then take the gospel to those very people.
Obviously the reason why the emphasis is put on feet is because in biblical times the primary mode of travel was walking. Today we can fly, we can drive, we can sail, but the urgency is still the same. Doors are open, but they shut so quickly. Opportunities are many, but they end so soon. Our feet need to take us where we can go while we can go.
III. Our Feet Remind Us We Have A Method To Use
Notice one more time that these are “feet” that bring good news, that proclaim peace, that bring good news of happiness and that announce salvation. When you really get right down to it, God only has one method for what we call “missions” and that is feet. I believe we ought to use every available method we can to reach anyone we can for the gospel of Christ.
We ought to use every technological invention known to man–television, radio, the Internet, tracts, books, CDs, DVDs and pod casts. However, I want to remind you the number one method will always be feet. God still uses people to reach people.
Shoe styles change every year, socks and stockings may look very different, but the feet never change. That is exactly why the Bible says in Ephesians 6:15, “For shoes, put on the peace that comes from [sharing] the good news” (Ephesians 6:15, NLT).
As you look at your feet remember there are still many miles to walk, many places to go, many people to tell, many sermons to preach, many stories to share and we still need every foot available to go across the street as well as around the world to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.
So let’s start walking!
James Merritt is Lead Pastor of Cross Pointe Church in Duluth, Ga.