FEET? I FEEL SO SORRY FOR MYSELF?
ARE WE SO EMPTY THAT WE CAN NOT UNDERSTAND? SO BLIND WE CANNOT SEE? SO DEAF WE CANNOT HEAR?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (Two part lesson)
As children we sang: Watch your feet, watch your feet where they go. For the Father up above is looking down with tender love. So watch your feet, watch your feet where they go…
WHAT IS THE HARDEST WORD TO SAY IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE?
SUPERCALIFRGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS… (1964--- Mary Poppins). It is not a real word. The longest Real word: ANTIDISESTABLISHMMENTARIANISM (against establishing churches) Well those sure are long words but they are not the hardest word to say in English. The hardest word to say: NO! NO! You will find it hard to say NO!
COME LET US REASON A POWERFUL LESSON ON FEET!
*FEET: 26 bones in the feet, 33 joints, 107 ligaments, your feet contain 250,000 sweat glands, shock absorbers, UNDERSTANDING, moral conduct, moving, coming, what we stand on, what we walk on, a steady base. YOUR FEET REPRESENT YOUR GOALS, OBJECTIVES, VIGILANCE, READINESS AND PREPAREDNESS.
GOD KNOWS HOW IMPORTANT YOUR FEET ARE TO YOU! PART OF OUR SPIRITUAL ARMOR PROTECTS OUR FEET…
Ephesians 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
MY FEET ARE SLIPPING! FOCUS! I ALMOST MISSED IT! I WAS FEELING SO SORRY FOR MYSELF.
IT WAS 95* AND THE GRASS HAD TO BE MOWED. I was a young pastor of a small forgotten mission work in east Kentucky. I had a junk lawn mower that had one wheel broken off the deck. The mower was so hard to start. Once started the mower smoked like a freight train. I was sweating a river. Once the mower was started you dare not turn it off. It hurt to mow because where the missing wheel was gone you had to hold that side up to mow level. I WAS FEELING SO SORRY FOR MY SELF. I was pondering quitting and returning back to teaching school. I was mowing the hill side. I thought I was going to pass out. So I just sat down to cool off. I had a small New Testament and Psalms in my pocket. I opened the Book to Psalm 73.
Psalms 73 was not written by David. This chapter was written by ASAPH. Asaph was a worship leader for God. He was a talented singer and could play beautiful music. This chapter opens with a lesson about FEET… ASAPH’S FEET WAS SLIPPING… ASAPH WAS GOING TO MISS HIS TARGET. He was going to fall flat on his face. He was doomed to failure.
Psalm 73:1 Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. 2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. 3 For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
MY FEET ARE SLIPPING? IS THIS THE END? WHY? ON WHAT AM I FOCUSED? WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ASAPH?
ASAPH’S FEET WAS ON A SLIPPERY SLOPE. ASAPH STARTED WATCHING PEOPLE AND COUNTING MATERIALISM AS HIS GOAL… DON’T MISS IT MY FRIEND. ASAPH QUIT SEEING GOD AND WAS CLEARLY FOCUSING ON PEOPLE… WE MUST ESTABLISH OUR FEET ON THE ROCK, MAKE UP OUR MINDS AND STAY FOCUSED…PUT YOUR FEET DOWN ON THE ROCK…
Psalm 73:28 But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.
What is the bottom line ASAPH? Are your feet going to slip? No, Asaph learns TO KEEP HIS FEET PLANTED. We must STAY IN THE PRESENCE OF A HOLY GOD. God is my dwelling place. LET US ANCHOR OUR FEET AND STAY NEAR GOD! God is my rock and my shelter in times of storms. ASAPH LEARNED THE LESSON: IT IS WHERE YOU PUT YOUR FEET.
TAKE OFF YOUR SHOES --- YOU ARE STANDING ON HOLY GROUND…
The burning bush opens Moses’ eyes AND EARS TO THE MOVE OF GOD…
Exodus 3:5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
* Elizabeth Barrett Browning penned these words: EARTH IS CRAMMED WITH HEAVEN, EVERY COMMON BUSH AFIRE WITH GOD, BUT ONLY HE WHO SEES TAKES OFF HIS SHOES; THE REST SIT AROUND AND PLUCK BLACKBERRIES.A
THOUSAND MILE JOURNEY STARTS WITH ONE STEP. IS THERE TRUTH: THAT YOUR FEET WILL TAKE YOU WHERE YOUR LOVE IS?
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!
WASHING OF FEET? HUMILITY, SELFLESS LOVE… WE ARE ALL EQUALLY IMPORTANT… SERVANTS OF ALL…
Respect, reverence, anointing, humility and love… service, servant of all.
John 13:8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.
WE DO NOT REALIZE THE MEANING OF WHAT JESUS IS DOING… He washed Judas’ feet.
John 13:7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.
OUR FEET? MY FRIEND YOU NEVER KNOW WITH WHAT ANOTHER PERSON IS STRUGGLING?
Come let us try to understand what other peoples’ points of view are. HURT PEOPLE HURT PEOPLE! Angry people tend to anger other people. There are rejected people that are totally unwanted and seems the world likes to pick on the COOTIE PEOPLE. (Untouchable.)
HOW SAD WHEN PEOPLE LIVE IN THE PAST? OTHERS BURY THEIR REALITY BY LIVING IN THE FUTURE… GOD ASKS US TO LIVE IN TODAY… NOW!
MY FEET? MY PITY PARTY? MY FEET? I WAS COMPLAINING AND FEELING SORRY FOR MY SELF…
There was a person that was living under a bridge and he saw another person that had a huge cardboard box to sleep in… He thought I wish I had a box like that. The man was crawling in his box and he looked up and saw a person going into a small apartment and he thought I wish I had an apartment like that. The person went into his apartment and he thought about the house in a subdivision and he wished he could have that house. The person that went into his house in the subdivision was dreaming of that big mansion sitting on acres of land, wow why can’t I have that mansion? The child was riding a tricycle and saw a 10 speed bike? The one on the 10 speed bike saw a big Harley Electra Glide. Wow! This motor cycle is nice but did you see that Roush Mustang? The Mustang is passed by a mid-engine Corvette… Wow! A low flying airplane flew over, that beats this Vette. The guy lands his plane and sees this big LEAR JET… WOW!
OUR LIFE IS SO FULL OF BLESSINGS THAT WE CAN NOT SEE THE VALUE OF WHAT WE HAVE. WE TAKE SO MUCH OF OUR DAILY LIVES FOR GRANTED. WE ARE EXPERTS AT HAVING PITY PARTIES AND FEELING DEPRESSED… POOR OLD ME… I AM GOING TO CRAWL IN A HOLE, EAT A WORM AND DIE!
HELEN KELLER WAS BLIND AND DEAF AND DUMB… SHE CARRIED A LESSON WITH HER. THERE IS AN AGE OLD STATEMENT… I CRIED WHEN I HAD NO SHOES UNTIL I SAW A MAN ON THE CORNER THAT HAD NO FEET.
RUTH WAS ON THE WELFARE SYSTEM OF GLEANING… A SERVANT GIRL… RUTH COMES TO BOAZ’S FIELD… THEN TO HIS FEET… Ruth went from welfare to owning the field…
Ruth 3: 4 And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do.
THE PLAN OF THE KINSMAN REDEEMER INVOLVED THE SHOE AS A TESTIMONY…
Ruth 4:7 Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was a testimony in Israel.
8 Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his shoe.
Again may I remind you that Ruth and Boaz’s field was where Jesus Christ was born some 1,100 years later…
MARY (MARTHA’S SISTER IS FOUND AT JESUS’ FEET 3 TIMES.)
1. ONCE FOR SERVICE, SHE WASHES HIS FEET.
2. SHE IS AT HIS FEET TO LEARN.
3. MARY WAS AT JESUS’ FEET FOR COMFORT --- HER BROTHER WAS DEAD.
Conclusion: I READ WHERE THE WORDS WERE PENNED: BEFORE YOU JUDGE ANOTHER PERSON WALK A MILE IN THEIR SHOES… THAT WAY WHEN YOU CRITICIZE ANOTHER, YOU WILL BE A MILE AWAY AND YOU WILL HAVE THEIR SHOES.
Are we walking in shoes of KINDNESS and COOPERATION? AM I DAILY LIVING WITH GRATEFULNESS, APPRECIATION AND LOVE IN MY HEART?
We do not know what tomorrow holds. There are people that have worse challenges than you are facing… We must have endure by faith to lay the foundation of deliverance.
COME LET US SIT AT THE FEET OF JESUS… SUBMISSION AT THE FEET… TO LEARN --- JESUS HAD TO EAT WITH JUDAS AND WASH HIS FEET.
Church was over. The people were visiting and several of the teenagers went out and were standing on the steps of the church. (Mina Pack was a super singer with The Carden Sisters) They heard a terrible loud noise. The people ran outside to see. Several teens were crushed by a drunk driver running his car up on the church steps. Mina’s daughter died that day. Mina could not sing for a long time! WHY? WHY? The family had to forgive for the song to return. LET US TAKE OUR FEET TO A NEW LEVEL… Mina had to forgive the drunk drive for her song to return.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube Wade Hughes)
