Let's look at a few Bible passages. "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! ...The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God." Isaiah 52:7, 10.
"O Sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvelous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory." Psalm 98:1.
"He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail." I Samuel 2:9.
"Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled." Hebrews 12:12-15.
"To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." Luke 1:79.
"And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking (in your hand) the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,..." Ephesians 6:15-18.
When I think of hands, I think of those strong, kind and loving persons reaching out to touch the little ones, the sinner, the sick and the poor. God makes His love known in the world today through kind, meek and humble servants.
My mother, Ella Mae, was one of whom it was proper to sing in memory, "Hands that have strengthened the weak and sad, Will be waiting there." ( "Heavenly Welcome," ELS #376.) What will be appropriate to sing in memory of what our hands are doing?
Although there are wheelchairs, bicycles, motorcycles, automobiles, boats and aircrafts for transportation, feet are still very needful. And the feet of those who bring good tidings and publish peace are as beautiful today as they were in Isaiah's time.
Although not beautiful to the natural eye, feet that carry Gospel messengers are beautiful. Just the sight of Bro. Ira Stover's Pontiac, or Bro. Darius Gibson's old car and homemade trailer brought cheer to many people as they took the good news far and wide. The mud-covered pickup of Bro. Harlan Smith, loaded with blankets, beans and Bibles, in rough and rugged Baja, Mexico, was a sight that brightened many hearts. The Greyhound buses that carried ministers who had no car were also beautiful.
I remember the time that Bro. Leslie Busbee and I went on mules with a guide to take some Bibles to a small village up in the mountains of southern Mexico. Hearing Bro. Leslie praising the Lord while taking the good tidings to hungry souls made it all so beautiful.
We could fill pages full of names if we listed all those we have known whose feet were beautiful because they carried the Gospel. My heart is humbled as I think of the time God called me to be a messenger of peace and goodwill. It was while I was washing the feet of one of these messengers. Jesus' prayer was "As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world." John 17:18.
From the beginning, people were known by how they used their hands and feet. Jesus' hands and feet were driven through with nails so that the world might have His saving love. His hands and feet proved that He was the resurrected Savior. "Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have." Luke 24:39 What do our hands and feet reveal about us?
Oh, let's pray that God will arouse believers to become Christ-like leaders with humble hearts, strong arms, meek hands and beautiful feet! [ The End ]