Like a new wine skin

Jesus said, 'New wine must be poured into new wineskins' (Luke 5:38).  As we start out this new year, one of the challenges many face is to be like a new wine skin.  A new wine skin is flexible, soft and ready for expansion. 

New wine expands as it settles into a wineskin.  New wine requires new wineskins that has the resiliency to stretch and expand with the new wine. Old skins will not work.  Old skins, after long usage, are in the habit of getting seamed and cracked.  They are too set in their ways.  These things will cause the wine skin to lose all the wine.  Back in the day wine was poured into a fresh animal skin with room for expansion (Matt 9:17).  Filling it too full or using an old wineskin was courting a small disaster.

Are you using old wine skins?  Old ways of doing things?  Old ways of thinking?  Doing things the way it worked in the past?  Outdated and antiquated?  Still talking about the good old days?  Always complaining?  Have you ever met a stubborn, proud, distant, unteachable, bitter student with wrong motives?  Have you ever met a person who was in silent rebellion?  Don't let that rub off on you.

In Job 32:19 Elihu compared himself to a wine skin ready to explode.  He had to release the pressure or he would destroy himself.  Come to Jesus my friend.  It's time to pray.  Cast your cares on Jesus Christ for he cares for you.  I Pet 5:7.

The beginning of a new year is a great time to re-examine yourself and your ministry.  This can be your year of growth, change and victory.  As a a student, you can be more consistent and dedicated to your studies this year.  This year can be the year that you realize that your education is a real ministry just as important as any other ministry you may be involved in.  This year can be the year that you no longer just squeeze in a couple V.E.T.I. Bible classes.  This can be the year that you make a big difference in school.  Become like a new skin, flexible, soft and ready for expansion. 

If you pour new wine into an old wine skin, it will burst.  Snap, crackle and pop!  Don’t allow that to happen to you.  'New wine must be poured into new wineskins' (Luke 5:38). 

I welcome your comments.