Do you have big feet? I was looking at shoe sizes and saw that the size for men went up to an 18! That size is for a foot which is over 13” long. A size 12 for a woman is for those whose feet are 11” long. My grandmother had small feet. She wore a size 5. I knew another lady who had even smaller feet and sometimes had to shop in the selection of shoes for girls. On the other hand, I have a nephew who has large feet. He is tall for his age and by age 13, he was already wearing sizes 13 and 14 in the men’s section. I guess you could say he has a firm foundation!
My feet are average. I love looking at shoes but I tend to always buy casual shoes or dress flats. I’m clumsy and can trip over my feet even when walking on flat ground. So although I like fashionable styles, I stick to the basics. It’s hard to look sophisticated if I’m having to pick myself up off the ground after stumbling!
As a result of my stumbling, I have had a couple bad sprains. The initial twisting of my ankle caused pain to shoot through my entire body. Then the throb every time my heart beat lasted for days. Along with the throbbing, it was swollen and turned all shades of black and blue.
Can you imagine praying about large feet? I admit that I have sometimes prayed about different features of my appearance, (such as the miraculous removal of extra pounds), but I have never asked God for larger feet.
In Psalm 18:36 (KJV) it says, “Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.”
Before we get into that verse though, go back to the beginning of Psalm 18. (See the entire chapter below). David is thanking God for all that He had done. God had protected him from enemies, had given him strength and had delivered him. He said in verse 2 of chapter 18, “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.” Then in verse 32, he began listing many things that God had done for him. When we take time to praise God, to get our eyes off of ourselves and onto Him, we will start remembering all that He has done for us instead of all that we think we need from Him.
Now in verse 36, David said that God had enlarged his steps. Albert Barnes said in his commentary that David was saying, “Thou hast made room for my feet, so that I have been enabled to walk without hindrance or obstruction….. The idea is, that he was before straitened, compressed, hindered in his goings, but that now all obstacles had been taken out of the way, and he could walk freely.” [1]
For a long time David had been on the run from Saul. He had hidden in caves and ran from his enemies. But now God had established him and had given him strength over his enemies. He no longer had to walk over mountainous, rough paths but in the victorious deliverance of God. In the Bible when it speaks of a man’s steps, it is referring to how the man is walking spiritually. Although David wasn’t praying for his feet to be bigger, he was saying God had blessed him by giving him room to walk uprightly, without anything causing him to stumble. God had strengthened his walk, his spirit. He finally had a firm foundation, safe and suitable for walking after God.
David went on to say that, “my feet did not slip.” Barnes said in his commentary:
“The Hebrew word here rendered in the text feet, and in the margin ancles[sic], means properly a joint; small joint; especially the ancle[sic]. The reference here is to the ancle[sic], the joint that is so useful in walking, and that is so liable to be sprained or dislocated. The meaning is that he had been enabled to walk firmly; that he did not limp. Before, he had been like one whose ancles[sic] are weak or sprained; now he was able to tread firmly. The divine favor given to him was as if God had given strength to a lame man to walk firmly.” [2]
So many times we find ourselves stumbling around in our walk with God. Whether it is because of sin in our lives or because we are going through a time of testing, our path seems to be uneven and rough. It’s as if we have large feet but we are forced to walk over a narrow path. Sometimes it’s hard to keep trusting in God and it seems we have trouble keeping our ankles from turning, which causes us to feel the pain of the trial even more. We can be overwhelmed by the struggle and the attack of the enemy and that is when the path is hard to travel over and we have to look down at our feet, hunting for the right foothold in which to place our foot so that we can take that next step. We end up feeling bruised, wounded and unsure of the next step.
However, if we will remain faithful just as David did, then God will bring us out of the rough path and place our feet on more stable ground. There will finally be room for our feet to walk, free from the fear that had caused us to look down at our own steps instead of looking up to God. He will strengthen us spiritually and enable us to walk, looking forward and upward. We will be able to praise God and thank Him for being our Rock, our Fortress, Strength and Deliverer.
So when you look down at your feet, pray for larger steps. Pray that God will enlarge your walk, that He will establish your footsteps, so that you can become a person who can walk upright in victory against the enemy. Once God answers that prayer, you can be thankful for your big feet.
[1],[2] – Barnes’ Notes on the Whole Bible, http://www.studylight.org/commentaries/bnb/view.cgi?bk=18&ch=18 (accessed 4/25/14)
Psalm 18 King James Version (KJV)
1 I will love thee, O Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
3 I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
4 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.
5 The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.
6 In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.
7 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.
8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.
10 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
12 At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.
13 The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.
14 Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.
15 Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
16 He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.
17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.
18 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the Lord was my stay.
19 He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
20 The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
22 For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.
23 I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.
24 Therefore hath the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
25 With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;
26 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.
27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.
28 For thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.
29 For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.
30 As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
31 For who is God save the Lord? or who is a rock save our God?
32 It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
33 He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, and setteth me upon my high places.
34 He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.
36 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.
37 I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed.
38 I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet.
39 For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.
40 Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.
41 They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto the Lord, but he answered them not.
42 Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets.
43 Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me.
44 As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.
45 The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places.
46 The Lord liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.
47 It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.
48 He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.
49 Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.
50 Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.