One of the most strange-looking birds lives in the Nile River area of Africa. It was called father of the shoe by the natives, because its huge eight-inch-long bill looked like the shoes they wore. The name was later changed to shoebill.
The shoebill is a relative of the stork. Its four-foot-tall body is covered with coarse, blue feathers over its back and wings, with gray feathers everywhere else. It has long legs and spends most of its time wading through swamps to feed on frogs and fish. It often points its large head skyward, snapping its oversized bill open and closed rapidly, making a racket that sounds like a machine gun.
It certainly ranks among the world’s strangest creatures, but we know it is part of God’s creation. Even though it is unusual and strange to us, God had a purpose for it, and it gave Him pleasure to create it.
Speaking of shoes, it is interesting to think about them in another way. For instance, most shoes have a tongue, and so do we. Many Bible verses speak of using our tongues in the right way. Here is one: “Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile [bad things]” (Psalm 34:1313Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. (Psalm 34:13)).
Also, the eyelets that hold laces in place make us think of our wonderful eyes. One of the best things we can do is to ask the Lord Jesus to “open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law [the Bible]” (Psalm 119:1818Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. (Psalm 119:18)). Also, “Look unto Me, and be ye saved . . . for I am God, and there is none else” (Isaiah 45:2222Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. (Isaiah 45:22)).
A shoe’s toe and heel are important, for without them we could not walk straight. King David was no doubt thinking of this when he wrote, “Thou [the Lord] hast also given me the shield of Thy salvation. . . . Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip” (Psalm 18:3536). Do you remember to ask the Lord Jesus to keep your feet in the right path too?
In many ways the sole is the most important part of a shoe, and the soul is the most important part of every person. It is only by faith that our souls will enter an eternity in heaven. How wise is the Bible verse, “Set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God” (1 Chronicles 22:1919Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God; arise therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of the Lord God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and the holy vessels of God, into the house that is to be built to the name of the Lord. (1 Chronicles 22:19)). Those who know the Lord Jesus as their Saviour can say, “[This] hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast” (Hebrews 6:1919Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; (Hebrews 6:19)). Does your heart and soul trust in Him?
Perhaps you can think of other parts of a shoe that apply to you and find Bible verses to accompany them.
ML-12/17/2006