Going Barefoot, Giving Up My Rights.

This first week of DTS has been crazy! God is so good, and He has been doing so much in my life preparing me to serve and follow Him. For my school, I have had to start by reading a book calling "Making Jesus Lord" by Loren Cunningham, and then yesterday I watched a teaching/movie by Loren Cunningham that spoke on the same principle of the book. Cunningham's main point is that through out the scriptures God's people have gone barefoot. Now going barefoot is a lot more significant than simply being with out shoes. You see being barefoot in those times was a sign of slavery and servitude. So, through out scriptures we see God asking us to take of our "shoes" for Him becoming barefoot for His kingdom. He asks Moses to take off his shoes at the burning bush because he was on Holy ground in front of his King, and Moses does it, and becomes His servant. God talks to Joshua and tells him on the ground where the soles of your feet take you I will give to you. In essence, when you take your shoes off, and you become my slave wherever I take you will be your inheritance. And then most importantly Jesus walks to the cross bruised, broken, and barefoot, not only as a slave to God to the Father, but as a slave to us, so that we may be free, and by doing that relinquished more rights and freedoms than we will ever know.

You see going barefoot is a sign of relinquishing. It is saying that I will be your servant, your slave. What I have learned this past week is that it is not whether you will take ever off your shoes and go barefoot, but it is to whom will you be barefoot, to whom will you be a slave, and there is only one King who in return for being His slave will He give you freedom, and that King is Jesus Christ. Jesus, is asking you to go barefoot for Him, and the amazing thing is like any other King that I know He did it first, so that we may know how, and even more amazing than that He has told us that if we commit to going barefoot for Him, He will do it for us. He will take of our shoes. He will use His strength in us to relinquish all that we are holding onto.

So, these past few days God has been working in me. He has shown me is amazing, outrageous, and undeserved love, that know matter what I do He still loves me 100%. He has shown me His gentleness and His strength, and has melted my heart so that one by one I have been led to relinquish my rights, to take off my "shoes" and go "barefoot" for Him. But this week has not been easy it has actually been really hard. Telling God that I am not going to worry about money and finances, when I still need over 3,000 dollars for outreach, is nerve wrecking and it tests my faith. But each day God graciously asks me to take off my shoes and let Him have control, assuring me that I will not be in need, that He will provide me with every penny that I need to go where He is leading me. So, taking off your shoes is not a one and your done deal. It is every day, and at times with certain issues even every hour. The cool thing is God is totally down with that, and every time we take off our shoes and give them to Him, He smiles and just wraps His around you and gives you the most loving, gratifying, and affirming hug you could every receive, and in that instant Heaven touches earth. But the list of what needs to be relinquished for me is longer than money, it includes marriage, the desire for kids (these three things may be the hardest for me), family, friends, my reputation, my debt, my name, my country, my comfortability, and even my life. But alas I know this is the best possible decision because the only way to assure that things are protected is to give them to God who is the only one that is big enough and smart enough to protect them from the world.

Each day God has taught me to ask what do I need to give to you today, and it may take the whole day to give it over, and sometimes I do not make it. But when I do. When I am able to see God clearly and freely give to Him everything that He has graciously given me I am freed from so many worries and concerns. So, at 8:55 a.m. the question is what I am still holding on to? What are you holding onto? May we learn to give them over to Jesus Christ. May we take off our shoes, and go barefoot for Him relinquishing everything that we have, including our freedom and our lives!

For whoever loses would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.
Luke 9:24