A Nugget from New Life Network
Scripture for the Day (September 25, 2015)
But no one puts a piece of unshrunk (new) cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results. Nor is new wine put into old wineskins [that have lost their elasticity]; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the [fermenting] wine spills and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, so both are preserved. (Matthew 9:16-17, Amplified)
Jesus used parables as one of His main teaching tools. There are at least 38 parables recorded in the New Testament Gospels. Over the next few weeks our devotionals will be concentrating on the parables of Jesus. The parable of the new cloth is recorded in Matthew, Mark and Luke and is closely linked and followed by the parable concerning trying to pour new wine into old wineskins.
My wife and I are getting on up there in years (67 and 69). Some people, especially young people, would even call us old. But we never want to be considered an old garment or an old wineskin by God. We never want to be in a situation that we can’t receive new things from God or be willing to change, move, or listen to and follow Godly leadership.
Do you remember when God rescued the Jewish people from the Egyptians and wanted to take them into the promised land? Do you remember what their attitude was as they were being pursued by the Egyptians?
And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness. (Exodus 14:11-12)
That generation never entered into the promised land because of all their complaining, grumbling, unbelief and downright disobedience. God wanted to give them something new and wonderful but they were old wineskins and old garments that could not handle it. They were not willing to listen to Godly leadership and thought they were smarter than Moses.
We see some of the same attitudes today. We have about 6000 people call us each year for church recommendations. It is amazing some of the qualifications and restrictions some of these callers place on finding a new church. They want a new church but it has to meet all their multitude of requirements.
How flexible are we if God wants us to do a new thing? How mobile are we if God wants us to move? Have we become old garments through our religious doctrines and traditions? Have we become so stuck in our ways and beliefs that we are not even open to something new from God? That is a bad place to be!
The best thing I ever did after getting saved was to read the Bible from cover to cover several times before I ever read somebody else’s book about the Bible. Even to this day I will not read commentary about a particular section of the Bible until I read it for myself and get commentary from the Holy Spirit. God wants to show us new things but we have to be in a position to receive it. The traditions of man can block new wine. Keep your mind and heart open to God. He wants to lead you into the Promised Land.
We encourage you to never become an old wineskin or old garment. Be a vessel that God can trust with a new cloth and new wine.
Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them. (Isaiah 42:9)
Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. (Isaiah 43:19)
