feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace

Intense foot pain is a problem. For this busy determined homemaker, grandmother, and writer it is also a conundrum.  Just like anyone else, I need my feet, and I need to be able to walk.

Recently, I injured my foot and have spent a lot of time convalescing, and when I do walk, I have to wear special shoes and not ever go barefoot anymore. Considering my blog is called Barefoot Inspiration, the situation begs the question, “Should I even be Barefoot Inspiration?”

Laughing at myself, I wonder aloud what the connection might be between my current foot pain, my faith, and my blog Barefoot Inspiration. There has to be a connection in this odd grouping.

All things considered, simply stated, we stand on our own feet.

The next thought I had as I considered my situation with my feet and having to wear special shoes initially was the snippet of a verse “feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace.”

Ephesians 6:14,15,16.

14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed,
15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.…

Okay, so stand firm, with our feet  fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace.

I have spent a lot of time on the subject of peace recently producing several posts that I felt strongly about such as Let peace on earth begin with us from December. Everywhere I went, I kept hearing that song where the children’s choir sings peace on earth repeatedly in the background. (I heard the bells on Christmas day by Casting Crowns) The children’s high voices echo in my head “Peeeace on earth.” Inexplicably at the time, I cried every time the song came on.

It makes sense to me now. My inner man was crying out and identifying with the message of peace on earth. Notably, peace on earth begins with us individually. To have peace everywhere, we start with ourselves, so I pursue peace in my life and the life of my family.

During the time I was thinking about peace on earth, my foot pain went from annoying to debilitating.

So, while convalescing, I looked up the verse Ephesians 6:15 again. I considered feet shod with the preparedness of peace and looked up the commentaries.

The author explains so clearly what the verses entail.

He writes that a Christian with feet fitted with the preparation or readiness of peace is “in the thick of the fight, and yet kept in perfect peace, because the soul is stayed on God.”

Wow. I stopped and read that several times. Then, I read it to my husband. What a reminder!

When Paul talks about feet shod with the readiness/preparedness/preparation of peace in a letter to the Romans, it is specific and eye-opening. The author points out that “We read ‘preparedness,’ which means the state of mind of the man who is ready.”

When the roots of the words used in the scripture are explained, it is mind expanding.

I looked down at my own special sandals with unusual bumps and raised areas and then read, “The caligœ, or sandals, of the Roman soldiers were heavy sandals studded with hobnails, to give a secure foothold to those who would stand firm.”

(Quotes are from the commentaries posted at https://biblehub.com/commentaries/ephesians/6-15.htm)

St. Paul identifies the sandals with the firm “footing of the gospel of peace.”

The word “peace” is here emphatic. The gospel is looked upon as the declaration of “peace on earth, goodwill towards men.” (from Luke 2:14)

Clearly, and I don’t state this lightly, the lesson to be derived from the exercise is that we are not spiritually barefoot and vulnerable if in the thick of the fight, our mind is stayed on God and the gospel of peace.

Again from the commentaries, a profound sentence:

“the possession of a Gospel that sheds a calm over the heart and brings a man into peace with God, is what the Apostle (Paul) thinks is like the heavy hob-nailed boots that the legionaries wore, by which they could stand firm, whatever came against them.”

Amazing. Even foot pain can lead us to truth.

Barefoot, but with feed shod with the preparation of peace,

Kim

Feet fitted with the preparedness of the gospel of peace. Ephesians 6:15

“The firm stand on this message is the firm assurance of God’s love. In this, and this alone, we stand.” Bible hub commentaries. on Ephesians 6;15