Day 158: Shoes, Glorious Shoes

If there is anything I know about, it's shoes. Flats, pumps, boots, Mary-Janes, kitten heels, stilettos, round toes, pointy toes, square toes. Oh how I love shoes.

When I buy shoes, I go through a series of thoughts. First of all, do my feet and legs look good in them? Secondly, are they for long length pants or short length pants? Thirdly, how much are they? (truthfully, this is probably question #one for me.) And lastly, how will they feel if I have to walk in them for very long?

But the shoes of the gospel of peace? I gotta wonder, do I own those shoes or did I leave them at the store, fearing they might be a bit uncomfortable if I had to walk in them for very long?

Ephesians 6:15 says, "And having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace."

Wow. That's a mouthful. If I tried to reword that I might say, "let the gospel of peace be your shoes." But I don't know if that's exactly right.

What are the shoes of the preparation of the gospel of peace? Those don't even SOUND comfortable? And considering they are in the midst of a passage about spiritual warfare and spiritual readiness, they must be a necessity (like a good pair of winter boots).

So, let me see if I understand this.

Shoes are what let us walk securely. Bare feet can step on things, tiny things, that can feel giant and cause quick and severe pain. They let us walk on unstable terrain. They allow us to move quickly. So, in short, if I were a soldier (which I am) and I put on all my battle gear and then left for war with bare feet, I'd be pretty stupid.

So the "shod your feet . . ." part, I get. But what is the gospel of peace? That one is a little harder. The Bible talks about many gospels, the gospel of the Kingdom (Matthew 4:23), the gospel of Jesus Christ (Mark 1:14), the gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20:24)and the gospel of peace (Romans 10:15). Well, then that's confusing. That's a lot of gospels, so why am I told to "shod my feet with the gospel of peace?"

Romans 10:14-15 says,
"How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!"

I don't know what Paul intended when he penned these words, but here's what I think. My main purpose is to bring glory to God's name. To glorify him in all I do. The world is watching. They are watching how I walk. Because it is a reflection of God and who He is. The shoes I put on are the shoes I walk in. So here I am, a soldier, ready for battle, but walking first and foremost in the peace of God.

All girded up, with my belt of truth in place, my breastplate of righteousness ready to fend off any mortal blows, but my feet shod with peace.

All that to say, God's Word is so powerfully beautiful.