Your feet are beautiful!

Romans 10:14-16 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!” However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” The apostle apparently knew his readers would be asking how the “whoevers” could believe and call on the name of the Lord and be saved if they haven’t believed in Jesus. Won’t they have to hear Him. How will they hear unless someone tells them about Him. Furthermore, someone will have to be sent to tell them the good news because didn’t Isaiah praise the prophets whom God sent? It’s a logical line of reason, but then Paul dropped the bomb: Not everyone is Israel believed even though they had the prophets sent by God. Notice how easy it is to rely on our logic when it comes to evangelism. We think God must work in human terms with human effort. It is true that God works through His ambassadors to bring about salvation in the lives of those He loves, but Paul’s point all the way from the beginning of chapter 9 when he expressed his concern for his Jewish brethren was that God’s plan to save Israel had not failed. God has and is fulfilling His word. That’s the confidence we must have as we live to love with Jesus. We must be careful not to rely on human reasoning and resources when it comes to the gospel and loving the people He puts in our paths. Yes, we have been sent to bring good news, and we are to preach it boldly and confidently. We believe God’s word will not fail, and He will save all Israel, that is, everyone He foreknew, predestined, justified, called, and has glorified (8:30). These are the “whoevers”, and God is putting them in our paths as we go on our way. Living to love with Jesus is God’s way of advancing His kingdom and saving all the “whoevers” in the Israel of God. We can be encouraged by these verses to live in constant reliance that God is at work as we love in the power of the life of Christ, the Holy Spirit. Your feet are beautiful because your feet are the feet of the Lord Jesus on the earth bringing the good news of the gift of God’s righteousness in Christ! Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com