You can tell a lot about a person by their shoes. In fact, you can tell a lot about a believer by the shoes they are wearing.
As believers, we must have different shoes in our closet because not every shoe is right for the occasion. There are spiritual shoes God sets aside for us to wear for specific occasions. There are times for shoes to be worn and times for shoes to be removed. Remember, God told Moses to remove his shoes as he was standing on holy ground. In Ruth 4:7, we see that giving your shoe to someone was a way of sealing a contract or legalizing a transaction. Shoes were and still are important to us.
All throughout Scripture, God’s chosen men and women had different shoes in their closets. Noah wore work boots for the longest time until the ark was finished, and then he quickly moved to rubber boots because he had to be careful where he was stepping. Abraham was told to leave his father’s house and leave everything behind; he needed hiking shoes because his journey was going to be long.
There are times when we will need to be changing our footwear along the path God has us on.
What we need to keep in mind is that it is not up to us to select the shoes we are putting on. As I watch what is going on in the world, I see so many believers reaching for the wrong footwear. It is not our choice; it is God’s choice as to what shoes we are wearing and when we should be wearing it. There are numerous instances in the Bible where the Israelites would be reaching for their tactical boots when God said, “You won’t need them; I’ve got this for you.” And he caused confusion in the enemy camps, and victory was won without raising a sword.
When we are not seeking God’s direction, we will be lacing up the wrong shoes. We, as believers, are so quick to reach for our tactical boots. We reach for the tactical boots so often we have worn the tread down. Did Jesus incite marches against the Pharisees, though? Did Jesus go to war against the Romans, who were committing atrocious acts of violence against the Jews? We use the excuse that “just because we are Christians, we don’t have to let people walk all over us.” While this is correct, that does not mean we have to reach for the tactical boots every time either. Did Jesus? Our example for which shoes to reach for first is our Lord and Savior. Even when He was betrayed, Jesus walked in peace. Jesus not only left us peace, but He left us His peace, not the world’s peace, and it does not get any better than that.
Next time we want to reach for our tactical boots and go to war, let’s remember to seek God first, our Jehovah Shalom, and see which shoes He would direct us to wear. It will likely be the shoes of peace.
Let’s continue this journey together as you listen to this episode of Fresh Fire Podcast on Charisma Podcast Network now. {eoa}
Todd Smith is the founder and apostle of Fresh Fire Apostolic Ministries, along with his wife Sandra Benaglia Smith. They live on the Great Lakes Region of Ontario, Canada, in Simcoe (Norfolk County). Fresh Fire Apostolic Ministries is about bringing revival fire to local communities, regions and the nations. It is about ministering to others through the power of the anointed and infallible Word of God and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Todd is dedicated in helping equip the body of Christ to awaken the nations with an apostolic and prophetic call of a rising ekklesia. Todd has devoted his life to the righteousness of Christ, with the demonstration of the Father’s heart in regions, individuals and the church across the world. Todd’s desire is to see every believer fulfill their God-given destiny and live life to the fullest in God.
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