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Foot-Watching
“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tidings.” Isaiah 52:7
How beautiful are the feet! Foot-watching. Indeed, it is the one fool-proof way to assess one’s priorities; watch where your feet are, where they take you! As I write this I am in St. Paul, MN with two precious grand-sons (napping at the moment). Although my wife and I didn’t walk to St. Paul, this is where our feet are. Our son, his wife and children, are a high priority, near the top of the list.
Frederick Buechner, in his book, Wishful Thinking, refers to Isaiah’s pronouncement on the beauty of feet this way, “Not how beautiful are the messenger’s lips which proclaim the good tidings, or his eyes as he proclaims them, or even the good tidings themselves, but how beautiful are the feet—the feet without which he could never have made it up into the mountains, without which the good tidings would never have been proclaimed at all.”
We are a culture of words, millions of words. It gets confusing. Messages are often mixed, as are feelings. Finding clarity is a great challenge amidst all the words, positions and perspectives that people have. There are multiple translations and interpretations and tons of commentaries on the Scriptures. Biblical scholars will agree on one thing, the English language sometimes doesn’t do particularly well in giving us the most accurate picture or context. If you are confused when you are studying your Bible, how about looking at the feet of the one who brings good tidings?
I would suggest that we’ll learn just about all we’ll need to know by foot-watching. Where did Ruth’s feet take her? Or Mary Magdalene’s feet on that Sunday morning? Moses wasn’t just wandering in the wilderness aimlessly, watch where his feet took him. Consider where Jesus’ feet took him—from Galilee to Jerusalem, hillside and wilderness, lake and river, the homes, streets and back alleys, even to the famous garbage dump we affectionately call Calvary—and we will learn all about Jesus’ priorities. Remember Matthew’s observation in 28:9, “They took hold of his feet and worshipped him.”
Words don’t always tell the story clearly. Our stated priorities and resolutions don’t always come to fruition. But watch the feet! Frederick Buechner suggests: “If you want to know who you really are as distinct from who you like to think you are, keep an eye on where your feet take you.”
Prayer: Precious Lord, guide my steps this day and everyday. Lead me to a place or person in need. Guide my
feet, Lord. Guide my feet. Amen.
Larry VanSpriell
ABCRM Interim
Executive Minister
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