Taking off your Shoes – Journey Deeper

What was the greatest victory ever won without shoes? If you guessed Jesus’ death on the cross give yourself a thumbs up. Like Joshua before him, Jesus submitted to the Father’s will for His life and was crucified without shoes. A powerful symbol for us today about how to gain victory in our daily battles.

Jesus overcame–Satan, our sin, the demonic strongholds of the world–through surrender. When it appeared like He was doing nothing by dying a meaningless death, He was transforming everything. Jesus shares that our journey of faith starts with daily dying as well: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me,” (Luke 9:23).

Before we can truly “follow” we must surrender our shoes and join Jesus in a death to self, to become nothing to gain everything, Jesus in us.

Join me in a prayer of taking off:

Dear Father today I take off my shoes, dying to my will and surrendering to yours. I give you my plans tainted with my pride and seek to listen to your heart for me. Lord help me to empty my self of all the distractions, fears for security, self-preservation, and worldly longings, so that I can be filled with the life of King Jesus. Father help me to understand that what the world calls “a waste of time,” you see as the most important component of my life, kneeling before your presence. I praise you that as I’m again crucified with Christ this day you have already gone before and guaranteed the victory, Amen!