What does "stand up on your feet" signify about readiness to serve God? Scripture Focus “ ‘But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and witness of what you have seen of Me and what I will show you.’ ” (Acts 26:16) Why the Command to “Stand Up on Your Feet” Matters • Immediate obedience – Paul had fallen to the ground in awe (v.14). Christ’s first directive is to rise. Readiness begins with responding instantly to God’s voice. • Posture of attention – Standing signals alertness. A soldier rises when the commander enters; a servant rises when the master speaks (Luke 12:35-37). • Acceptance of assignment – Christ ties the act of standing to being “appointed … servant and witness.” The risen posture marks the moment Paul embraces his calling. • Break with the past – Paul had been traveling to persecute believers. Standing before the glorified Christ marks a clear turning point: old mission dropped, new mission received (Philippians 3:7-8). • Readiness for action – Standing positions a person to move. God never calls us to idle admiration; He calls us to obedient motion (James 2:17). • Spirit-empowered ability – In Ezekiel 2:2 “the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet.” What God commands, He enables—rising is possible because His Spirit lifts and steadies the servant. Supporting Passages • Ezekiel 2:1-2 — “Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you… the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet.” • Daniel 10:11 — “Stand on your feet, for I have now been sent to you.” God’s messenger readies Daniel to receive revelation. • Acts 14:10 — Paul tells a crippled man, “Stand up on your feet!” Physical restoration pictures the spiritual principle: those healed by Christ rise to walk in new life. • Romans 6:13 — “Present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life.” Rising from a prostrate state mirrors presenting ourselves for service. Practical Takeaways • Cultivate quick obedience: when Scripture speaks, respond without delay. • Maintain spiritual alertness: daily time in the Word keeps the believer “on his feet.” • Embrace your assignment: every redeemed person is appointed as a witness (Matthew 28:19-20). • Depend on the Spirit: He not only calls but empowers you to stand firm and move forward (Ephesians 6:10-11). Standing up on your feet is thus a vivid, literal picture of the believer’s readiness—heart awake, will surrendered, body poised—to serve the living God. |
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