Feet to our Prayers

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” Rom. 10:14-15

I have a dear friend flying over the Atlantic tonight. She's off to minister to some just like you, who live your lives over there, in a world we sometimes idealize and other times fear.

As I've watched God assemble her team, I've been reminded that no one goes alone. Paul reminds us in this passage that the feet of those who preach the good news are beautiful, but I've often read this and completely skipped past the previous sentence: "How are they to preach unless they are sent?"

One denominational missions agency sent a letter stating that hundreds of missionaries were ready to go but had to be turned away because of a lack of funding. I personally know a couple whose heart burns for Spain but they await the many details and financial support to get there. The statistics about the numbers of you who return from the field due to discouragement and despair are astonishing. You often feel forgotten. The obstacles are many, and can never be overcome alone.

That's why my friend's adventure has been so encouraging. From those who gave, to those who signed up for her prayer team, to the friend who provided her a warm down coat to wear in the cold climate to which she is going, to the one who's picking up her mail and depositing her checks while she's gone -- I've seen the body of Christ at work. I've seen hands and hearts and fingers and spleens (to paraphrase Paul's depiction of the body of Christ). As I've said - we're all going, she just happens to be the feet.

And it has reminded me that the same is true for each of you. All of you have a team behind you - I hope a strong prayer team, certainly a financial team, a stateside necessities team -- and if you are blessed a team of encouragers for those inevitable horrid days, people to remind you that you are the ones to be envied even when you don't feel like anything special, and to remind you that what you're missing here isn't really that much after all, especially when you are gaining Christ! Your entire team is on the mission field - you are just the feet.

But never forget how beautiful God thinks your feet are! And I, for one, thoroughly agree!

Walk in Him, dear ones, and those feet will become even more glorious!