Isaiah 52:7

Beautiful Feet?

Okay, take a good look at your feet. What do you see? Calluses? Blisters? Dry skin? Toenail fungus? When was the last time you told someone to look at your “beautiful” feet?

Our feet are even less beautiful when we walk sinfully into places our Lord forbids, or when we stand with those who violate God’s Word, or when we walk away from a chance to witness for Christ, or neglect that act of compassion we know should be done.

Back in Isaiah’s time, long before phones, radios, and instant communication, news was carried by runners. Was the war won or lost? The runner would bring the news, hopefully good news. Imagine how his feet looked after running miles over hard, dusty roads. However, if he brought news of a great victory and peace, his feet were beautiful!

The hustle and bustle of Christmas is now over. Hopefully you’ve finished running to Christmas parties, relatives’ homes, and stores to return gifts. I pray that you have beautiful feet that will travel to church to thank God for all his undeserved blessings showered upon you during the year now coming to an end. I especially pray that you’ll thank Jesus for his beautiful feet that walked the dusty roads of his day living the holy life you could never live. Thank him for his beautiful feet, pierced by a nail and dripping with holy blood shed for all your sins. That’s good news for you and me!

I also pray that your feet, (though they may be blistered, callused, and beset by toenail fungus) will be beautiful as they bring the good news of the gospel to others you meet in 2012. There’s the neighbor who still doesn’t believe, a fellow student plagued by the guilt of his sexual misconduct, that member of your church who struggles with finances or failure and doubts God’s love. People around you need your beautiful feet to come and warn them of sin and its hellish consequences and to bring them the good news of God’s love. Then you have feet that are indeed beautiful feet!