Good shoes take you to good places! We are now walking into the third element of God's Armor, known as The Shoes of Readiness. This mystical footwear is seen in Ephesians 6:15; put on your shoes so that you are ready to spread the Good News that gives peace (GW). Over the coming five devotions, we will untie the shoes of readiness to take a deeper look at what they are, when to put them on, and how to wear them in readiness for battle. As a result of putting on these metaphorical war shoes, it will provide a firm foundation allowing you to keep a sure footing in life's more difficult moments as you walk and fight to excellent places in the Lord.

My combat boots were one of my most prized possessions over my twenty-year military career. Over 7000 times, I spit-shined them, put them on, and laced them up, ready to fight at any moment. They protected my feet from the many hazards of everyday living and combat. I appreciated them because they provided comfort, stability, and protection for most environments, including rugged and challenging terrain. My boots also prevented me from falling and injuring myself when walking over water, oil, or other wet ground. In a sense, my combat boots were friends who had my back, or in this case, my feet. My readiness boots got me out of many difficult situations. They also brought me to the beautiful place I'm presently walking, with fulfillment in my soul and happiness squarely in sight.

All soldiers of Christ need to put on war shoes that will "ready" them to take God's Good News to the battle-stricken world. To be ready means to be prepared and able. People have great opportunities all the time. Still, if they are not ready, jump right in, and cannot complete whatever, they fall hard, especially soldiers in the Lord's Army. The process of being a prepared and good soldier is "Ready, Aim, Fire," not "Fire, Ready, Aim." Great soldiers understand the readiness it takes to fulfill the mission and does not jump into things before they are ready; they don't get in over their heads and cause unnecessary pain and death. As excellent military people understand, getting ready requires waiting and doing the "non-gratifying" work before jumping in to gain the satisfaction and reward of being ready!

Join me in the readiness process as we look at how our war shoes are the preparedness needed to successfully meet the demains of fighting in the Lord's Army. Through this mini-series, within the sequence of the Wonderfully Weird Armor Devotion Series, you will see how the conditions of being "ready" as a soldier of Christ supersede self-gratifying ways and how to succeed with self-control. The thrilling part will be finding out all of us can grow into great worriers for Christ, ready to battle as mature soldiers living victoriously through Jesus.

With a soldier's mind and heart,

Pastor Drake