Share This Article

To receive daily, prophetic emails from The Elijah List to your inbox CLICK HERE

Find us on... BCN Facebook Page BCN XAPiT Page

Sara Whitten: "Keep Your Shoes On"


Sara Whitten, Kerrville, TX
Jun 22, 2024

Quick Errands and Speed Bumps

Earlier, I was running a quick errand. My goal was to pop in the store for one thing and get back to the house before my husband needed to leave for the office. I parked, hopped out, and walked around the car to get our youngest out of his car seat.

As I opened the door, I saw his socks and shoes flung all over the backseat and a huge grin on his adorable two-year-old face. My "quick errand" hit a speed bump while I stopped to put his socks and shoes back on before continuing on the errand.

Callum's newfound ability to take off his shoes means that wherever we are—little league games, at the park, in a restaurant, or in the car—if he's sitting for more than a few minutes, his shoes are coming off. It's a frustrating habit for a parent responsible for executing the day's itinerary, so when I saw his shoes off AGAIN that morning, God took the opportunity to speak to me, "Keep your shoes on."

"Your Feet Fitted..."

I remembered the passage in Ephesians 6 where the armor of God is described and how it urges us to "stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace" (vs. 14–15).

"Your feet fitted..." if you dig into these words in context, you'll find a picture of affixing something by wrapping and tying it to the feet. Shoes of the day would've been bound to the feet to secure them. When we're fitting our feet with God's style of shoes, we're wrapping ourselves in His good news. It's a repetitive action: over, and over, and over. We remember His Words, promises, and testimonies, and those actions affix to our feet the gospel of peace. (Photo via Pexels)

Good News: A New King Is Here!

The "gospel"—or "euaggelion" in the Greek (Stong's G2098)—would've been known at the time as a proclamation of a new ruler who was declaring to the people of the land that he had defeated the previous rulers, and that they were now under his kingdom. Our news is the same. Through Jesus every other principality and power has been defeated, and, as Jesus taught us, we can pray for Kingdom of Heaven realities to be brought to Earth. Our gospel is the Kingdom of God being at hand. That is the reality that we walk in and walk on as we put on our "shoes."

Gospel of Peace

Because of this gospel we have peace, and this peace is so much more than a good feeling. This peace, or eiréné, is from eiró, which, according to Strong's Concordance, means "tie together into a whole," for example, "when all essential parts are joined together" (Strong's G1515). God reminded me that is often how we "take off" our shoes of peace. We view some pieces of our lives, maybe our circumstances or the attacks against us, but we don't view them in light of the whole picture that includes the gospel of God's Kingdom having overcome.

This word for peace can also mean "a state of national tranquility; exemption from the rage and havoc of war" (Strong's G1515). How would we walk differently if we put on a "peace" that recognizes that because of Jesus, we are exempt from the havoc of war? We may still be walking through it, but He has already overcome it, so we walk in the peace of the exemptions He paid for.

"Shoes" of Peace

This "peace" word also refers to "peace between individuals" (Strong's G1515). This part reminded me of a day a few weeks ago when I came to pick up Callum from an activity. The teacher told me that they had trouble with him wanting to "help" by taking off everyone's shoes. She was laughing as she told me, but as funny as that problem is, it's a real problem! Teaching a class of two-year-olds is hard enough, especially when you are having to stop and re-shoe everyone multiple times.

God reminded me that there are times when someone else is trying to take off our shoes. They may even be trying to help, but what they're speaking is not focused on God's good news or His peace. Sometimes the person trying to "take off others' shoes" is us! The great news is that the shoes of the gospel of peace are freely given to us all, and we alone make the choice to receive them or take them off. And just like in a class of two-year-olds, if one person puts on their shoes, it inspires another, after another to want to do the same. (Photo via Pexels)

This word "peace" is also defined as "quietness" and "rest" (Strong's G1515). Often when we think of "readiness," it seems like we should be doing something to get ready. Rest and quietness seem the opposite of ready. But when we relax into the Lord's safety, and get quiet enough to hear Him, we are more ready than all the preparing we could do by our own wisdom or effort.

Keep Your Shoes On

There is an invitation to keep your shoes on. Often, we can, like my son, take off our "shoes" of God's peace for various reasons. When we're overwhelmed by a problem and feel like we can't be at peace (i.e. we think we can do it by our own effort or we feel unworthy of the peace we've been given to walk in) we can be tempted to take off our shoes.

When my son takes off his shoes at inopportune times, it doesn't change my plans for Him. It does require the redirection of stopping to put his shoes back on before we continue. In the same way, whatever tempts you to take off your peace doesn't negate God's plans for you or His love for you, but the faster you can put those shoes of the gospel back on, the faster you are back on track with where the Spirit is moving you next.

Whether you are in a season where you are feeling the tension of spiritual warfare or a season of peace in which the Lord is teaching you more about abiding in Him, there is an invitation to see ourselves in view of the Kingdom, in our place of WHOLENESS—to live in such a way that our peace, from the Lord and His good news for us, is the buffer we walk on between us and any circumstance.

Let's ask the Lord in our seasons: What good news do You want to remind me of that will bind my "peace shoes" on today?

 

Whatever you do, don't miss another ELIJAH LIST email! Subscribe at this link: elijahlist.com/subscribe.

 

Sara Whitten
Arrows of Zion
Email: sara@arrowsofzion.com
Website: www.arrowsofzion.com

Sara Whitten is an author, speaker, equipper, and founder of Arrows of Zion Ministry. She and her husband are youth pastors at Impact Christian Fellowship in Kerrville, Texas. Sara is a prophetic writer that is featured on Charisma, The Elijah List, Spirit Fuel, and more. She hosts "Hear God Every Day," a podcast with tools to help amplify the voice of God amidst the noise of everyday life. She participates in developing resources and Bible-based trainings for areas least reached by the Gospel. Sara also facilitates trainings for professionals wanting to use their business or marketplace skills for the Kingdom.

To receive more words like this in YOUR inbox, subscribe FREE to the Elijah List at this link: elijahlist.com/subscribe.

 

HR

 

Thank you for making the always-free "ElijahStreams" possible. To partner with us, click here.

Your donations truly help us keep these emails free for you. Donate at:

Find us on:
* Facebook click here

* XAPiT click here

 

Can't You Talk Louder, God?


An ElijahList Paid Advertisement
Subscribe to Our Email List Today
Do you want to know what God is saying to you today? - Subscribe to our email list
Shop Our Store! - $4.95 Shipping for all USA orders over $50!
Are You Praying for Our Government Leaders?