Isaiah 52:7 “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!”
Have you ever received good news? Good news is nice, but it is even better on the heels of bad news. That is exactly what happened in Isaiah 52. The children of Israel were in captivity, but the good news was that they would be returned. Isaiah says in verse 1, “Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: . . .” In other words, this is a great day-put on your good clothes! The people had brought judgment upon themselves, but the bad news of their troubles would only preface the good news.
I must admit that I do not think feet are pretty or attractive. Especially for men, feet are kind of disgusting and gross! My opinion has not changed over the years, although we see plenty of feet around camp in the summer! I do have to draw the line somewhere, though. At some nice steak restaurant with dim lighting and a quiet atmosphere, here comes a guy in the door with flip-flops and a hat on! People don’t dress up for anything! You would think this fellow, who will eat a $20 steak, could at least afford to spend as much on a decent pair of shoes! Nothing ruins a nice dinner like a pair of feet!
In Isaiah’s day, it was the good news of what was coming. Today, the gospel gives value to what we do. What you do with the good news beautifies your life, no matter what you do “for a living.”
The characteristics we find in Isaiah 52:7 also characterize the gospel today. The gospel is good–“bringeth good tidings of good, . . .” The news of how a person can have his sins forgiven and a home in Heaven is good news! The gospel is peace–“that publisheth peace. . . .” The gospel tells how sinful man can have peace with a perfect, holy God. The gospel is salvation–“that publisheth salvation; . . .” Talk about good news!
What is important is not the messenger but the message. What gives your life value and beauty-what gives you purpose for where you are and a plan for what you do-is the gospel!
Your life is not beautified by your appearance; your life is beautified by your actions with the good news. How beautiful are your feet this morning?
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Prayer Requests:
– Revival services tonight in Ortig, WA; Valparaiso, IN; and Medina, OH
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