How beautiful … are the feet of the messenger who brings good news
Isaiah 52:7-10
7 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!
8 The watchmen shout and sing with joy,
for before their very eyes
they see the Lord returning to Jerusalem.
9 Let the ruins of Jerusalem break into joyful song,
for the Lord has comforted his people.
He has redeemed Jerusalem.
10 The Lord has demonstrated his holy power
before the eyes of all the nations.
All the ends of the earth will see
the victory of our God.
I recently bought a new pair of hiking shoes. I really love hiking and doing overnight camps where you carry everything with you. Its like an escape and an adventure to get up into the mountains and just have a few simple things on your agenda:
- Reach destination
- Stay hydrated
- Eat
- Don’t die
But if I said to you “this long walk over the mountains is making my feet more beautiful,” I’d expect you to look at me weirdly.
That’s because long walks over rugged terrain are punishing on our bodies, especially our feet!
My feet ache after walking only a few kilometers with a heavy pack, so then, what is going on in this bible passage!?
What is being revealed here is the paradox of beauty. We wouldn’t call aching, stinky pulverized feet “beautiful,” but in the eyes of God, when those feet are doing the work of bringing a message of peace and salvation, they are the perfect picture of what beauty really is.
Thank You Lord that You see me as beautiful, even when I feel like I am not in a great way. Thank You that You have called me to be a partner with you to bring Your message of peace and salvation, and that there is nothing more beautiful than that.
Written by Ps Justin Ware