It’s time to plant our feet on a few footstools
One of my many favorite thoughts in the days of adversity, is the notion of Christ placing His feet upon the enemy as His footstool. It’s an especially sweet thought from the vantage point that I have always felt like the footstool of the world and that I detest people who treat those they think of as beneath themselves, as their footstool.
The world is filled with people on every level of life who believe themselves to be far above the average peasant in the community as well as deserving of their every hearts desire. I think perhaps we all have the innate ability to believe that of ourselves. We call it the flesh, yet there’s no justification of it. Feeling unworthy is not a new emotion for me. Since a child I’ve felt the lesser of the people, not because anyone made me feel that way, it’s just who I am. So for decades I fell into line as the people’s footstool. But slowly, very slowly, being that I am now 62 years old, I have began to believe it’s my role to yank the footstool out from underneath the enemy of my people.
Israel was and is the definition of community and what the church of God (not denomination) but rather the body of Christ should look like. Certainly they had times of departing from the intent of God when they divided into two Kingdoms, and every time they walked away from the path of God’s design. But throughout time, God’s people were meant to be the caretakers and defenders of one another. But the world’s mindset is “every man (or woman) for themselves” and the footstools of the world are stairways to the elite’s success. America is beyond a shadow of a doubt the model. The method varies State to State but it’s basically the same with the treatment of the commoner, or the peasants as I like to call us. But my question today is how does that play into the role of the modern church with community?
Psalm 110, which is where I am in my reading today says In verses 1-4
[1] The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. [2] The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. [3] Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. [4] The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
The Moody Bible Commentary says of these verses “Christ has his enemies; all the enemies of his people are his; some are overcome already by him, as sin, Satan, and the world; and the Jews, his enemies, who would not have him to reign over them, have been destroyed: but as yet all things are not put under his feet, which will be; as antichrist, and the kings of the earth that are with him, who will be overcome by him; the beast and false prophet will be taken and cast into the lake of fire; where also the old serpent, the devil, after he has been bound and loosed, wall be cast likewise; and when the last enemy, death, shall be destroyed; till that time comes, Christ reigns and will reign, and afterwards too, even to all eternity.”
Must we wait until eternity for some little victories Lord? That was my question this morning. I know we’re not to the footstool stage of life, although I think we’re very near; but how are God’s people to react when we see people being treated with total disregard? What happens when the elderly and children in harms way are being ignored and becoming victims of political fall out. I’ve witnessed it first hand. It’s difficult as an outspoken child of God to become politically involved because then it’s viewed as politics. Not faith. It’s why good people don’t get involved in politics because they don’t want the accusation to come against them that they had an ulterior motive. It’s also a great game plan of Satan himself to keep good people out of politics!
Let the victims fall. We’ll pick them up on the side of the road of life right? Can we not have some victories in the name of Jesus now? I believe we can.
The word Zion is not lost on me. Every time I read I think it’s God calling me out of my home on Mt. Zion Ridge in Calhoun County, as if to say “Shari, step out, I have something for you to do today.” Regardless of where you are, God calls you too.
In verse 3 David speaks of a day of power. Moody commentary says “Or, in the day of thine army. When thou musterest thy forces, sendest forth thy generals, the apostles and ministers of the word, in the first times of the Gospel; when Christ went forth working with them, and their ministry was attended with signs, and miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost; and which was a day of great power indeed, when wonderful things were wrought; the god of this world was cast out, the Heathen oracles ceased, their idols were abolished, and their temples desolate; and Christianity prevailed everywhere.”
Christianity is still everywhere today. From one end of the earth to the other. But it’s not prevailing. Yet across America it is the watered down version. It is not by any means a representation of what the early church looked like. Forget people willing to die for the church, we don’t have people willing to live for the church.
To get real with my own life this morning, I have to confess I did’t go to church yesterday. I got up early, I was ready with my Sunday School lesson, the church bulletin and all the things that I do each Sunday morning, and then my train derailed. Mother got up late, I needed to fix her breakfast, the reality of her state of mind came down on me like a brick and I sank into a quit pit of depression, tears and frustration and determined I was better off at home. The world won that battle.
Life is always filled with small doses and large doses of discouraging times. I’m not throwing rocks at other Christians. There’s enough of that. But I encourage you as I do myself this morning to not be the world’s footstool today. Rise above and plant your feet on the top side in a stand for Christ Jesus and what He would have us do when we see the enemy come after our friends and family. If you believe scripture then you know you are among the family of God on this earth, waiting for Jesus’ return. But He doesn’t expect us to sit there on our thumbs and just wait. We have work to do. Amen?
Amen.
Shari, the Jesus Chick. Warrior. Friend. Join me in the fight. Get active in your community and defend those in need. ❤️
