Verse of the day: Ephesians 6:15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of
the gospel of peace;
We saw from yesterday’s
devotional thought that we are to gird ourselves with God’s truth, and that
this truth should affect us both inwardly (within ourselves) and outwardly
(toward others). The righteousness that guards our hearts should be reflected
in how we live before God. The next piece of armor given to us is the shoes of
the gospel of peace. First and foremost, we need to understand that the Gospel
message is a message of peace (Luke 2:14). However, let us not think that this
is peace amongst men; for we know that peace amongst men has not truly existed,
and does not exist today, even though we are called to be at peace with others,
if it is possible, as much as depends on us (Rom 12:18). The peace of the
Gospel message has to do with the peace between God and man that was made possible
through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ (Rom 5:1). We have been
called to spread the Gospel message and preach it to every creature (Mk 16:15).
In warfare we do not often think of footwear as being an important part of the
uniform, but it is a key part of what is worn. What we wear on our feet during
times of conflict is important for maintaining proper footing during battles
and the ability to walk long distances or move quickly when necessary. If we sustain
an injury to our feet it slows us down and can even put us out of the fight. We
are supposed to be ready, at any given time, to go wherever God sends us to
share His Gospel message. We are to be ready to be deployed to not just explain
the Gospel, but demonstrate it by how we live. However, know this, that when we
set out to share the Gospel of peace we will likely experience trials,
tribulations and even inner turmoil, as the enemy will stir up situations that
can cause us to take our eyes off of what we have been called to do. The world
will reject the message, mock us and persecute us (and all of this can even
come from those closest to us that do not know the Lord); for even Jesus said
that He did not come to bring peace, but a sword amongst those dearest to us
(Matt 10:34-35). This is where the tranquility of knowing that we are at peace
with God will play a role in keeping us focused on Jesus, and on course to
sharing the message with others without becoming discouraged. The path we walk
along may contain many obstacles that can hinder our stride. Therefore, having the
proper covering for our feet is important, as every time we go out, ready to
share the Gospel, we enter enemy territory. Just like the proper footwear is
important to a mountain climber, so we, when we encounter those hills and
mountains in our path, will need the proper shoes to go up over or around such
possible hindrances. The Gospel of peace is not just for sharing with others;
it is also for our own peace of mind. It is applicable for everyday living
while we go about preaching it to the world. If we stop and take a look around
us, we will see turmoil. We see war, conflicts, and people lashing out at each
other in their warped approach to bring about peace. In the midst of all this turbulence we see
people silently suffering from worry, loneliness, and a lack of inner peace
(for a number of different reasons), trying to bring about peace in their lives
by the use of alcohol, drugs, cutting, immoral relationships, and even suicide
(just to name a few); when true peace can only come from God and His Gospel of
Peace. Only Jesus, our Prince of Peace, is the real solution. Only when we live
truth, choose righteousness before God, and allow the peace of God to take hold
of our being (and prepare our feet to go), will we begin to develop into the
Christian soldier that will become unstoppable in carrying out our call to share
Jesus with a dark, lost, and dying world. The Apostle Paul put it best when he
instructed Timothy to teach faithful men the things he has heard so that they
too could go out and do the same (2 Tim 2:2-4). This command is the same for us,
as we are to always be prepared to proclaim the Gospel that was shared with us.
Like a good soldier, we are to endure whatever hardships necessary in order to accomplish
our calling.
No comments:
Post a Comment