Kick off your shoes
When God calls the ground "holy", kick off your shoes!
“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”
Exodus 3:5
Have you ever considered that when God interrupts your normal day, that at it’s core is a simple yet deep command to “Take off your shoes” Y/N ?
Today, for no good reason that I can think of, this question popped into my mind. I mean, like what’s so important about having bare feet when God wants to have a quiet word? It can’t be about us dirtying the floor we're standing on, after all, he made us from dirt, right?
So, it has to be about us getting our minds into a ‘right place’, having a complete mindset shift, to enable us to encounter God. Let’s walk through the times in scripture where God says;
Do not come any closer, take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”
The first time we come across this command is in Exodus 3:5, when Moses comes upon the Burning Bush while minding some sheep.
Picture the scene in your minds eye: Moses is out in the hills tending sheep, when he notices a bush on fire, but it’s not getting consumed! As you can imagine Moses is likely thinking to himself, 'well now, that’s a strange thing?
Then in the next moment he hears God speak directly to him from within the bush, saying;
“Do not come any closer, take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”
That has to have been one scary moment for sure! But why the need for bare feet?
What's it with shoes? They symbolise work. What do we do at the end of a hard day? We kick off our shoes, of course!
They can also symbolise travel; if we’re going anywhere, we put them on!
And perhaps they also symbolise earthly possession, nothing like a good pair of shoes to get yourself noticed, right? No matter if your clothes are in rags, a good pair of shoes will always speak loudest!
So, by taking them off, what we’re really doing is showing God that we are now entering His time, His presence, and in doing this, we are being ‘set-apart’ for a ‘holy’ encounter.
We find the command again in Joshua 5:15, just before Joshua leads the Israelites into battle against the besieged citizens of Jericho.
The commander of the Lord’s army (Jesus, in case you weren’t sure!) replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.
Joshua 5:15
Again, picture the scene, Joshua is preparing to lead Israel into battle, when he encounters the “commander of the Lord’s army.” Who says “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.”
Why here, when battle is about to commence?
Right on the brink, moments before Joshua implements his war strategy, God steps in and re-centres him. To paraphrase, God’s saying,
‘Sandals off, sit down, I’ve already given you the victory here, but it’s not going to happen by your plans or might, this one's my mission, we're doing it My way!’
Again, we see it, God’s time, His presence. set-apart, for Joshua, a Holy encounter!
So, what’s the big idea?
Firstly, we see “Holy ground” on a hill side, then outside Jericho, so it’s safe to say that ‘holy ground’ isn’t a location! But what it is, is a revelation.” For it is wherever God chooses to make His presence unmistakably known to us!
Secondly, “Shoes off = Guard down.” It’s an act of humility; we’ve come into the presence of the Lord, meaning, we’re really at home, so kick off the shoes! No shoes also means we’re vulnerable, as we’re no longer ready to travel; instead, our readiness and focus has switched to receiving instruction!
Thirdly, it shows us that “God doesn’t need a temple to make a moment holy.” We don’t need to go to a place of worship because the whole earth is His, and He can just as easily sanctify a desert bush, a battlefield, or any part of our everyday spaces! Don’t fool yourself for a second, we can never contain the Lord Almighty inside any man-made box!
What about you, where is your "Holy Ground" today?
God often speaks in the middle of our mundane and routine lives, so we need to recognise these moments of God’s divine interruption (like Moses shepherding).
So, when you feel your soul stir in awe, conviction, or a clear “pause” moment, that’s your invitation to ‘kick off the shoes’.
In addition, we should also prepare ourselves to practice ‘postural humility’ (err, what's that?)
Taking off our shoes is a physical act of submission, and for us today, that might look like:
Putting the phone down to talk to God in prayer.
Closing our tablet to listen to Him.
Or literally kneeling or sitting quietly to acknowledge God’s presence and saying, “Lord, You've got my full and undivided attention!”
Then, when the ‘mountain top’ experience has passed, carry that set-apart holiness or reverence with you into your day, allowing it to manifest itself through the acts we do, don’t just carry the memory of the moment!
Remember, when Moses walked away from the bush, he was still called to lead. When Joshua left for the battle, the holy ground moment equipped him for what lay ahead.
So, when it comes to our set-apart moments, don’t just bask in the aftermath of that ‘mountaintop experience’; rather, allow it to recalibrate your purpose and trust in God for the journey that lies ahead.
You could also create “Shoe-Free” Zones by setting apart a physical or mental space to allow time for uninterrupted connection with God. Maybe a chair, a walk route, or the first 5 minutes of your day. Treat it as a ‘set-apart, holy’ space to encounter God afresh.
Remember, “If God can call desert dirt ‘holy,’ He can transform any ordinary moment of our lives into a divine encounter.”
So the next time you feel the Spirit nudge youbto pause, to get quiet, or to step into something bigger than yourself, pause and imagine God saying,
“Take off your shoes.”
It’s an invitation to step out of our comfy 'crocks' and into consecration. Accepting the invitation may help make your ground, your space, become set-apart and holy too!
Have a great week, and God bless,
Trev.
PS: After my initial thought and before writing this, I kicked my shoes off and prayer-walked around the garden. (My feet are still tingling, 2 hr's later! 😄)
Enjoy the song,