BAREFOOT

            Every morning I wake up with a choice. The new day stretches out before me like a blank canvas waiting for brush strokes to bring it to life. Scripture describes it this way, “His mercies are new every morning.” I love that.  I need that.  A fresh start…a second chance…every single day.  What will I do with this gift today? Whether pulled in a dozen directions with more tasks than I can possibly accomplish, or faced with no tasks and the despair of a meaningless day, God gives me the very same gift: New mercies…a clean slate.  

            More than twenty-two thousand brand new days have been given to me.  Some have been squandered, some ignored, but some have been treated as precious and have blossomed into days of meaning and significance.  Given the choice, I want my brand new day to be one of eternal significance and intimate fellowship with my Creator. I want my day to matter.  I want to sense God’s presence so powerfully that I can hold His hand.  Interestingly enough, that is what God wants too.  So many passages in His word are designed to teach me how. 

            Many of God’s messages encourage us to come to Him, to seek Him, and to draw closer.  Why then does he tell Moses, “Do not come any closer”? That grabs my attention.  First, God wants him to take off his shoes because he is standing on holy ground. This is confusing, because anyone who has worn sandals before knows that one’s feet get almost as dirty as one’s footwear. So why does God require bare feet from Moses?  Could it be because God wants to eliminate the barriers in our lives that have constant contact with the filth of this world? What is it in my life that encounters the dirt and the debris of this world? Could it be what I am reading, or watching on TV, or a person with whom I have developed a relationship? Is God asking me to shed something in order to achieve a close, meaningful walk with Him?

            Maybe Moses sandals needed to come off because they represent our human efforts to navigate in this world. Maybe God wanted Moses to come to Him with an awareness of his helplessness apart from God. The truth is we arm ourselves with the trappings of self-sufficiency, and deceive ourselves into believing that we are safe because we have financial security, or employment, or loved ones all around us. Could God be telling me to shed the false sense of security and recognize Him as my only true security?  I certainly don’t have all the answers, but I have a new day. I have a fresh start. I am coming to Him barefoot, I want nothing between us!