Spiritual Devotional
by Pastor Dexter Sanders
Out with the old, in with the new
Mark 2:22 (NKJV)
22And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.”
The most difficult thing for us to do as human beings is deal with change. We like doing things the way we’ve always done things. Sometimes we want to continue to do that old thing whether it works or not.
God Almighty loves us and often wants to move us to higher heights. He wants to take us places we’ve never dreamed of, places we’d really love to go, but we can’t see the flowers for the trees. It’s difficult for us to let go of the thing we know, to try the new things God has prepared for us.
What you must understand is, if God has decided something for your life, it’s going to happen one way or the other. You’re going to move into His newness one way or the other. It might be a gentle nudge from God, it might be a forceful shove, or it might be a kick in the butt, but you are going to do what God wants you to do. Mark 2: 22 says: 22And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.” There are six different thoughts in this one scripture. Six different elements if you will that help you and me to understand.
New wine represents the new direction God has for your life. For some, new wine is accepting Jesus into your life. But for those of us who are already in Christ Jesus, it may mean a new direction. Old wineskin represents your present life or situation, living in sin or whatever you’re presently spending your time doing.
The new wine burst the old wine skins represents the new things God has for you being too big for your present situation, but usually we’ll try to fit a new God thing into our old situation. It just won’t fit. It’s like trying to put a band aid on a shot gun wound.
The new wine being spilled means the thing that God has prepared for you is wasted, not because God didn’t want you to have it, but because you still trying to hold on to the old thing that will never get you where God is trying to take you. Old Wineskins are ruined represents you having attempted to fit a new God plan into your old situation, won’t even be able to go back to the old life in peace.
Finally, the verse ends with; “New wine must be put into new wine skins”, meaning God the new wine, Jesus the new wine will only come into new wine skins or in a renewed mind if you’re completely trusting God for where you’re about to go. You have to trust God for this new thing, because you have no clue where you’re going and why you’re going. I want to encourage you today to allow God to lead you “Out” of the old and “In” to the new.