How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim the peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” Isaiah 52:7 (NIV)
Have you ever wondered how far you walk in a day? A year? A lifetime? Apparently, the average person takes around 7,500 steps per day. Thus the average person, with an average stride, living until eighty years old, will walk the distance of about 110,000 miles. To put this in perspective, the circumference of the earth is 24,901 miles at the equator. This means that you would walk five times around the earth! That’s quite a distance.
The Bible talks about our feet and calls them beautiful. How many of us have thought of feet as being beautiful? The Bible says that the feet of those who bring the gospel of Jesus Christ are “beautiful”.
In Romans 10:15, Paul borrows from the language of Isaiah 52:7 and relates it to the ultimate good news message.
How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!” Romans 10:14-15 (NASB)
The words “preacher” and “preach” today make us immediately think of pulpits. Actually, the word “preach” simply means to proclaim, to make known! In centuries past, before the invention of the wire cable and the printing press, there were messengers who ran on foot with important news. These envoys delivered the news in person. In biblical times people relied on these heralds who would bring news or a message from important dignitaries. The recipients would be anxious to know if the news was good or bad.
Our message is thankfully good news. The bringers of good news provide a message that gives peace within and without. As the angel put it in Luke 2:10:
I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people. Luke 2:10 (NASB)
Have your feet brought good news to someone recently? Let’s go as messengers of the Good News.