The figurative keeping of the feet of His saints, with the promise that when they run they shall not stumble, is a most beautiful and helpful subject. But it is quite distinct from the literal keeping for Jesus of our literal feet.
There is a certain homeliness about the idea which helps to make it very real. These very feet of ours are purchased for Christ’s service by the precious drops which fell from His own torn and pierced feet upon the cross. They are to be His errand-runners. How can we let the world, the flesh, and the devil have the use of what has been purchased with such payment?
Shall ‘the world’ have the use of them? Shall they carry us where the world is paramount, and the Master cannot be even named, because the mention of His Name would be so obviously out of place? I know the apparent difficulties of a subject which will at once occur in connection with this, but they all vanish when our bright banner is loyally unfurled, with its motto, ‘All for Jesus!’ Do you honestly want your very feet to be ‘kept for Jesus’? Let these simple words, ‘Kept for Jesus,’ ring out next time the dancing difficulty or any other difficulty of the same kind comes up, and I know what the result will be!
Shall ‘the flesh’ have the use of them? Shall they carry us hither and thither merely because we like to go, merely because it pleases ourselves to take this walk or pay this visit? And after all, what a failure it is! If people only would believe it, self-pleasing is always a failure in the end. Our good Master gives us a reality and fulness of pleasure in pleasing Him which we never get out of pleasing ourselves.
Shall ‘the devil’ have the use of them? Oh no, of course not! We start back at this, as a highly unnecessary question. Yet if Jesus has not, Satan has. For as all are serving either the Prince of Life or the prince of this world, and as no man can serve two masters, it follows that if we are not serving the one, we are serving the other. And Satan is only too glad to disguise this service under the less startling form of the world, or the still less startling one of self. All that is not ‘kept for Jesus,’ is left for self or the world, and therefore for Satan.
There is no fear but that our Lord will have many uses for what is kept by Him for Himself. ‘How beautiful are the feet of them that bring glad tidings of good things!’ That is the best use of all; and I expect the angels think those feet beautiful, even if they are cased in muddy boots or goloshes.
Once the question was asked, ‘Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou hast no tidings ready?’ So if we want to have these beautiful feet, we must have the tidings ready which they are to bear. Let us ask Him to keep our hearts so freshly full of His good news of salvation, that our mouths may speak out of their abundance. ‘If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth.’ The ‘two olive branches empty the golden oil out of themselves.’ May we be so filled with the Spirit that we may thus have much to pour out for others!
Besides the great privilege of carrying water from the wells of salvation, there are plenty of cups of cold water to be carried in all directions; not to the poor only,—ministries of love are often as much needed by a rich friend. But the feet must be kept for these; they will be too tired for them if they are tired out for self-pleasing. In such services we are treading in the blessed steps of His most holy life, who ‘went about doing good.’
Then there is literal errand-going,—just to fetch something that is needed for the household, or something that a tired relative wants, whether asked or unasked. Such things should come first instead of last, because these are clearly indicated as our Lord’s will for us to do, by the position in which He has placed us; while what seems more direct service, may be after all not so directly apportioned by Him. ‘I have to go and buy some soap,’ said one with a little sigh. The sigh was waste of breath, for her feet were going to do her Lord’s will for that next half-hour much more truly than if they had carried her to her well-worked district, and left the soap to take its chance.
A member of the Young Women’s Christian Association wrote a few words on this subject, which, I think, will be welcome to many more than she expected them to reach:—