Small Wonder: A Christmas Devotional JourneySample

Beautiful feet

When you think about it, an all-terrain trekker who’s been traversing across mountains at speed in a hot climate to bring announcements might not have the most beautiful-looking feet!

After all, how many people’s feet are beautiful anyway?

The feet described here aren’t beautiful due to their appearance. They’re beautiful because of the message they bring. They bring good news.

In these verses, we have two forms of early announcements – firstly, the runner who crosses mountains first to tell the people that God has saved them, and secondly, the watchmen at the city walls who are first to see the victory procession as the Lord returns.

The beautiful, wonderful, good news they announce has three parts: peace, salvation, and God’s reign. And there are at least three stages to it being fulfilled – first with the return of the exiles to Jerusalem and the rebuilding of the Temple there, then second with the arrival of Jesus.

The third stage of the fulfilment of this good news is yet to come. We have so much good news to celebrate at Christmas, but we also clearly aren’t seeing all the good news described here. Most days, our everyday contexts are far from complete expressions of peace, for example. Throughout Advent, whilst celebrating Jesus' coming to Earth, we also eagerly wait for His return to rule.

Prayer

Lord, wherever my feet take me today, help my words and deeds to convey Your good news. Whilst we wait for Your Kingdom to fully come, we ask for more of Your peace on Earth and more people to experience Your beautiful salvation – including those we’re closest to every day.