A Strong Foundation

“{Stand firm then} with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.”  – Ephesians 6:15

Sunburns hurt. 

I realize we are in the middle of winter (here in the Northern Hemisphere) and sunburn is far from a topic on our mind at this time of year.  As a matter of fact here in Houston they are expecting a winter freeze this weekend with precipitation that might actually spawn a few snow flurries.  Back to the story of my Summer sunburn.  It’s bad enough to get a sunburn on your shoulders or neck or arms, but when you get a sunburn on the tops of your feet, the pain can be excruciating.  We were fortunate to visit Oahu several years ago and I cannot forget the second day there while we were hanging out on the beach, my feet became sunburned so bad I had a hard time walking the rest of the week.  Every pair of sandals I put on would scrap against the tender skin, and tennis shoes weren’t possible as they would apply pressure to the whole foot.  Needless to say it was a lesson in being prepared, which obviously I wasn’t.

In the days of Jesus the Romans would wear sandals made of leather, laced up the front as a measure of foot cover that was light weight enough, yet durable in the dirt and desert terrain of Rome and Israel.  These sandals also provided a solid foundation for the soldiers because they had small nubs on the bottom that would provide traction when fighting and /or climbing.  They never knew when a battle or skirmish might ensue but they knew that they were well equipped and confident in their footwear to stand their ground.  They were prepared should anything break out during their daily patrols.

The words of Paul draw a parallel to our ability to create a solid foundation for our battle against Satan.  We never know when a battle might ensue.  Trials and temptations come up every day in one way or another – arguments, addictions, integrity, pride are just a few examples.  The gospel of peace stems from the peace of our Lord and Savior – Jesus Christ.  Throughout the New Testament He is giving us examples of peace and in one of His final meetings with His disciples as captured in John 14 (v.27) He states; “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you.”  The Holy Spirit that dwells within us carries the Peace of God in our hearts.  In Romans 5:1 Paul writes; “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord - Jesus Christ”  The gospel of peace is not a gospel of timidity, but a gospel of love, grace, mercy and compassion.  Reaching out to others with the love of Christ in a peaceful manner to bring the story of salvation to the world, is what we are asked to do. 

We ready ourselves for evangelism and to battle the evil in the world by putting on the sandals of the gospel of Jesus Christ – the Prince of Peace.   We are to take His peace to the world, and if they reject it, they are rejecting God’s plan of salvation.  Be prepared at all times by continuing to strengthen your understanding of Jesus Christ’s love, grace, mercy and compassion so you are on a solid foundation and prepared when the opportunity arises.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
Teach me oh Lord to be strong in Your word, to be confident in Your message to the world and to build a strong foundation from Your gospel.  I seek to bring Your message to others in a way that is acceptable and filled with love and peace that they might understand and grab ahold of.  I rebuke the evil of this world through Your name and refuse to allow fear to fill my mind and heart as I see the strife and absence of peace in the world.  I call upon Your Holy Spirit to work through me to represent Your peace to those I come in contact with.  In Your name we pray - Amen



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