March 8

“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace....I will make the place of my feet glorious.” Isaiah 52:7a, 60:13b

Eugenia Price writes:  “No matter how many mountains our feet cross, no matter how beautifully we couch the “good tidings” nor how magnificently we ‘publish peace’, we can leave behind only the footprints of our ‘busy selves’, unless Christ is dwelling fully within us.”  It is His footprints that are left behind. This reminds me of a story I heard on the radio this week of the father who was a pastor and wanted to give his young children an illustration of what it meant to walk with God.  He took them out into the snow-covered yard and took huge steps in the deep snow.  Then told them to follow in his footsteps.  They were not able to match his stride and fell on their faces.  Then he placed the youngest child’s feet on his feet and holding her hands he retraced his steps.  The child saw that she could only walk in her father’s footsteps if she stood on HIS feet.  This is a wonderful picture for us to keep in our minds as we so often try to follow behind in Jesus footsteps when we should be standing on His feet.  It is HIS footprints that are left when we quit doing things in our own strength and rely totally on Him for all things--not only when the snow is deep.

“He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”  Micah 6:8

February 6

“We have been slaves where we ought to have been kings.  We have found our reigning to be “much less” rather than “much more.”  Why is this?...We have let unbelief cheat us out of our rightful possessions.”  Hannah Whitall Smith, “God of All Comfort”, p. 130

Hannah contrasts the “much more” scriptures with how we live and confidently states that once we  grasp the full meaning of these “much more” verses we can never be uncomfortable or miserable again!  I sit here even now trying to absorb all that “much more” means.  I’m having my life flash before my eyes, like a dying person, seeing all the times I did not avail myself to all that God was offering me.  All the times I acted as though He was a “much less” God.  I think I’m beginning to understand what true humility is.  Perhaps true humility is a verb and not a noun.  Could it be in the actual taking God up on His promises because we admit our utter helplessness? It’s not a positional thing where I place Him on the throne because He made me and I am just his subject.  This implies I have some power to place Him there.  God is God no matter what I do or think. Humility comes in living as though my life depends on taking God up on His promises.  Suddenly humility takes on a whole new definition for me and it seems it would come quite naturally if I’m living the faith God has given me. 

“He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?  Micah 6:8