“How Beautiful are the Feet…”
I’ve never considered the human foot a thing of beauty. Especially my feet. Functional, yes. Beautiful, not so much. I live in a part of the country where open-toed shoes, sandals, and flip-flops abound. This provides daily, continuous visuals of all kinds of feet. Personally, I keep my less-than-presentable feet covered up. I’ve never been particularly proud of them.
With 26 bones, 33 joints, and more than 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments, the human foot is a complex, remarkable machine that we largely ignore until such time that it demands attention. If you’ve experienced bunions, plantar fasciitis, ingrown toenails, fallen arches, or other foot ailments, you know what I’m saying.
Recently, my left foot turned on me. Shooting pain sat me up in bed and refused to let me sleep. Big toe. Major pain. The pedicurist wanted nothing to do with it. The nurse practitioner gave advice and passed me on. Finally, the podiatrist went to work on a nasty ingrown toenail. There were needles, razors, blood, and some minor whimpering. Finally, a serious looking bandage job. Yes, that’s my post-op left foot in the picture.
Most of the Bible’s references to feet refer to standing firm, or not slipping. With regard to beauty, Solomon describes his bride’s feet in sandals as beautiful (Song of Solomon 7:1). And Isaiah says “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation” (Isa. 52:7).
The picture is of a runner, going from the scene of battle to the city, to carry news of victory and deliverance. That’s always good news. I don’t think Isaiah was talking about the physical beauty of feet, but rather the welcome news they carried. Hmmm. Maybe I can have beautiful feet. Not visibly, mind you, but functionally. Yeah! I think so! Talking about God’s grace being available to everyone qualifies my feet as “beautiful.” More than that, it may ultimately affect someone’s eternal destiny.
In a culture of bad news day after day, the believer in Jesus carries the best news there is: Salvation, forgiveness, and eternal life are offered to all who believe in Jesus. His death on the cross paid the price, and the eternal future He promises is beyond comprehension. Today, that good news is needed more than ever.
My feet will never win any beauty contests. Not happening. But you and I have the opportunity to develop “beautiful feet” by faithfully representing the Lord Jesus Christ, and carrying “glad tidings of good things” to those in need of what He offers.
I will live through toe surgery and ugly feet. But that doesn’t hinder me (or us) from developing beautiful feet. How are your feet looking?
