Shodding Feet with the Gospel of Peace
Trying to leave the house with kids can be a 45-minute ordeal and a true test of patience. They may look ready to go with hair fixed, teeth brushed, clothes on, various toys in hand inevitably to be lost by the end of the day. At least in Western culture though, no one is “ready” until they have their shoes on their feet. With this in mind, let’s consider the first Passover (Ex. 12). God required the Israelites to eat with their belts fastened, sandals on, and rods in hand. The Israelites had seen God’s power through nine plagues - the last seven of which had only affected their oppressor. They ate in haste and ready to go - as commanded. Their understanding of who they were in the eyes of God led them to slaughter the lamb, paint their door posts, and eat together - all while dressed for travel. God had defeated their enemy, and they needed to be ready to follow Him. And follow Him they did - through the Red Sea right into the wilderness (Ex.14:26-31). I would suggest that our readiness as Christians, like the readiness of the Israelites, is directly tied to whether or not our relationship with God is in the forefront of our mind. This is our good news - we are now God’s chosen people. This gospel should be our peace! With this peace, we ready ourselves for battle and follow a commander who will be victorious.
Of course, readiness can be undone. Just because kids leave the house with shoes on their feet doesn’t mean they arrive at their destination in the same way! As soon as I snapped my son into his car seat, he would remove and toss his shoes behind him as if the sound of his seat belt was a pop of a gun at a race. My daughter had squirmy feet that took shoehorns and various yoga positions to get her shoes on - but somehow, they always slipped off easily. When it came time for the Israelites to go into Canaan, they were not ready. When the twelve spies scouted God’s promised land, ten returned terrified (Num. 13-14). They had willingly entered into a covenant with God as His chosen people. They had been given a law and a meeting place to offer sacrifices, celebrations, and atonement rituals. They conquered armies! And yet, when it came time to go into the land promised, they were afraid and tried to organize a return to Egypt - their original oppressor. They had forgotten everything! They had lost the peace that comes from the good news of understanding that they were the chosen people of God. As Christians and heirs to the kingdom of God, are we ready to follow God always? Are we ready when it is inconvenient or uncomfortable? Are we ready when our work or life looks different than we hoped or expected? Are we ready when our floors are dirty and the kids are screaming? Are we ready when people hurt us and say or do mean things? Are we ready when we know our efforts will go unnoticed or unappreciated? Are we ready when we feel overtired, overworked, and overwhelmed? Are we ready to follow our commander through the battle of trials? When we don’t feel like we will be okay? Are we ready? The Israelites were not. We need to be.
Like the parents that tape their daughter’s shoes to her socks with duct tape or the boy who goes barefoot until he arrives at his destination, God extends grace to answer our shortcomings. We see in Numbers 14, Moses intercedes, and God allows the Israelites to die, slowly wandering in the wilderness to clear out the unbelievers while preserving a remnant. Lack of peace can lead to death. The remnant was a demonstration of the mercy of God allowing the Israelites as a people to still be a part of His glorification. God will be glorified in spite of our lack of readiness! But if we want to be a part of His glorification, we need to be ready to serve and follow in whatever situation we find ourselves. It is easy to forget our God has defeated our oppressor and we cannot lose when He is with us. Though we are up against the principalities and powers not of this world - as Joshua said about the Canaanites, “…Their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them” (Num. 14:9).
Shoes protect our feet and allow us to walk without worry of sharp objects, hot pavement, or muddy puddles. With shoes, we are able to move faster and with a more driven purpose. Our shoes are needed to protect our feet so we can do what is needed in the outside world. It is when we arrive home that our babies can finally kick off their shoes. With the exception of small toys and crumbs, at home our floors are soft and safe. Even through forty years of wandering, God provided for those in the wilderness. He continued to lead and feed them. He even protected their garments - never letting their clothes or sandals wear out. Until finally, when they were ready, they entered the land promised. They were no longer wanderers and sojourners. They were home.
Good news! Now we are His chosen people! As hard as this battle can be, we need to remember our God is still providing for us. He has provided the scriptures to boost our faith (2 Tim. 3:16-17; Rom. 10:17). When our faith and focus is strong, we are provided peace (Rom. 5:1-5, 8:6). He has given us fellow citizens in a shared inheritance to uplift and encourage us (1 Thess. 5:11-15). God has given us His word and each other to keep us focused, committed, and ready for every good work. He has protected us just as He did the Israelites. We need only to cling to His provisions until we enter into our promised home. Only, then, we will no longer need our shoes, for we will be in the home of our Mighty Father forever.