Beautiful Feet

[reprinted from October 14, 2010]

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!
The watchmen shout and sing with joy, for before their very eyes
they see the Lord returning to Jerusalem.              Isaiah 52:7-8 (WEB)

When I think of a messenger in Isaiah’s time I think of a person who walks barefoot, or at best in sandals, over dusty or muddy roads.  He/she has calluses and hasn’t seen a pedicure in their life! “beautiful feet”?

There are ‘watchpersons’ in my life who truly do have “beautiful feet”.  Some have young smooth feet. There are many young people who speak such wisdom to me! They see the world and God’s children with passion and a fearlessness that I do not want to lose. Some have feet with arthritic joints. These feet have traveled many, many roads. I am awed at the precious nuggets of wisdom and experience that these messengers have brought to me. Some have feet of color, bringing essential and diverse news to me that I would otherwise be without.  They are all beautiful because they bring me God’s Good News just when I need it.  Some are leaders, teachers, but more importantly they are brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ.  They are the ones who come when I am at the end of my rope.  Many times they don’t know my need but they are obedient to the message they have been given and obedient to deliver it!

I was thinking of a particular incident this morning when God’s Good News came to me at just the moment I needed to hear it.  I ran the scenario of what might have happened or the road I might have walked if that Good News had not come to me because the messenger was ‘afraid’ to deliver it or was too ‘tired’ or the hundred other excuses that I have heard in my head from my flesh or the enemy when I have been given a message to give.

I lift up these messengers of God who have been faithful and I ask the Lord to return to them a thousand fold for what they have brought to me.  I also lift up those who have struggled in the message and the delivery and ask our merciful Father to strength their feeble limbs as He has strengthened mine.

[Jesus said,] “I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.”    John 13:15-17 (NLT)

Keep Singing by MercyMe