11/25/05
Encouragement for Today
“Why So Many Shoes?”
Zoe Elmore, Proverbs 31 Speaker Team Member
Key Verse:
Deuteronomy 5:33, “Walk in the way that the Lord your God has commanded you so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you possess.” (NIV)
Devotion:
I admit it, I am the shoe queen, and I proudly wear that crown. I do love my pretty, pretty princess shoes, and I have more shoes than I care to admit. My husband on the other hand, has two pairs of black shoes, one pair of brown shoes, and one pair of athletic shoes. Oh yeah, and there’s the pair that is never allowed in the house – his yard shoes. Poor dear, he has no idea what he’s missing. Tom has often asked me why I have so many shoes and who in the world needs to have four pairs of black pumps and so many purses, when he can get through life with a total of five pairs of shoes and one wallet. After 26 years of marriage I believe I have come up with the perfect answer: “No matter how wide my hips will get, my purses and shoes will always fit.”
I have shoes for every occasion and for any situation. There are shoes with very high heels and shoes with low ones; shoes with beads and baubles and crystals. I even have a pair of shoes that have heels with flashing lights. No, these are not a hold over from the disco era. I like to think of this pair as my “shoes that shed a little light on the gospel.” Although I may hold the record for the number of shoes owned, not every shoe is suitable for every occasion or situation. For instance, I would never mow the grass in my “glass” slippers and I would never wear my yard shoes to the store.
What a word picture for our spiritual lives. There are times when the Lord calls us to go out and do the hard messy work of life, in order to minister to others or to learn some hard lessons for ourselves. It is in those times that I pull on my red rubber boots and get to work. Other times, the Lord calls me to carry His Gospel, wearing my “glass” slippers to one who needs to be encouraged. Still other times the Lord calls me to even give my shoes away. I can’t tell you the absolute joy I have experienced in secretly leaving my newest shoes for someone and running to the car in my bare feet. Yes, I do love my shoes, but I love putting those shoes to work for the Lord even more!
Gone are the days of buying “sitting” shoes; you know the ones, you bought them because they were beautiful, but they hurt your feet so badly that you only wear them when you know you’ll be sitting and you won’t be expected to get up and contribute anything.
There have been times in my life when I was like my “sitting” shoes, I looked pretty, but my spiritual life was so empty I couldn’t contribute much. I’ve discovered that the function of the shoe is as important as the looks. It’s not enough for me to look like a believer all dressed up in my prettiest shoes. I must be willing to take the next step of spiritual maturity. I must be willing to do the hard work ahead of me, if I want to live the life of God’s princess in my pretty pretty princess shoes.
Do you feel like you are a pair of “sitting” shoes? Are you ready to put on your rubber boots and get to work? If yes, I want to encourage you! Your heavenly Father has a set of footprints for you to follow. Walk in His footprints of promise given in Psalm 119:105: “Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light for my path” (NIV). Get into His Word and begin the work of spiritual maturity, then put on your pretty pretty princess shoes and allow your heavenly Father, the King of Kings, to direct your path and guide your steps.
My Prayer for Today:
Lord, I want to walk in Your ways through Your divine guidance and direction.
I don’t want my life to be seen as pretty but of no use, so I renew my commitment to seek out and obey Your will. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Application Steps:
Make a scheduled appointment to be with the Lord each day. Renew your commitment to obey the Lord’s will for your life. Put on your “rubber boots” and begin the work He has for you.
Reflection Points:
Am I willing to put on my boots and get busy with the spiritual work ahead of me?
Who can I encourage with the lessons I’ve learned from this work?
What am I willing to give away in order to bless another?
Power Verses:
Isaiah 2:3b, “He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” (NIV)
Isaiah 2:5, “Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord.” (NIV)
I John 1:7, “For if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (NIV)
Additional Resources:
What Happens When Women Walk in Faith, by Lysa TerKeurst
http://proverbs31.gospelcom.net/newresources_whatHappens.htm
The Ultimate Makeover, by Sharon Jaynes
http://proverbs31.gospelcom.net/newresources_ultimateMakeover.htm
Show Me the Way (Music CD), by Gwen Smith
http://proverbs31.gospelcom.net/newresources_showmeway.htm
Originally published Friday, 25 November 2005.
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