FROM: Banbury, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
ABOUT ME: Living the highs and lows of life in the adventurous pursuit of God Himself and of who I'm meant to be as the Bride of Christ.
(View complete profile)
Saturday, October 14, 2006,9:57 a.m.
Renewal
I was looking at the trees along my street yesterday, and noticing that fall is definitely upon us, despite our warm weather and lack of rain. My street is lined with deciduous trees that are turning orange and red, and now regularly dropping their leaves throughout the day. It's beautiful.
As I thought more about this pattern of the trees turning colour and dropping their leaves, it occurred to me that these trees do this every year, and if I were to attribute sentient thought to them, I would say that they decide to do this every year. They choose to shed the old leaves - the dead things from the past year - and clothe themselves in the new things.
What a great parallel for us. To decide to shed the old, dead things in our lives, and to look forward to the new things. To forsake the old wineskins that we have known, the ones that are no longer able to hold the things that they should, and to choose to accept the new wineskins and the new wine that is given us as a gift.
New wineskins for new wine. New things from the heart of God for our lives. Renewal. It is our choice to accept it. It is God's pleasure to give it. Sometimes it is difficult to let go of the things that are known in our lives - I wonder, is it difficult for the trees to drop their leaves that they have been nurturing for a year? Or a snake to shed his skin that has protected him for so long? Perhaps it is easier if the future is known and the knowledge of new life and new things is on the horizon.
Be assured that there are new things on the horizon. There are always new things on the horizon with God - healing, fulfilled promises, blessings, callings, fresh vision. God gives good gifts to His beloved children.
He told them this parable: "No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an old one. If he does, he will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, 'The old is better.' " (Luke 5:36-39)
As I thought more about this pattern of the trees turning colour and dropping their leaves, it occurred to me that these trees do this every year, and if I were to attribute sentient thought to them, I would say that they decide to do this every year. They choose to shed the old leaves - the dead things from the past year - and clothe themselves in the new things.
What a great parallel for us. To decide to shed the old, dead things in our lives, and to look forward to the new things. To forsake the old wineskins that we have known, the ones that are no longer able to hold the things that they should, and to choose to accept the new wineskins and the new wine that is given us as a gift.
New wineskins for new wine. New things from the heart of God for our lives. Renewal. It is our choice to accept it. It is God's pleasure to give it. Sometimes it is difficult to let go of the things that are known in our lives - I wonder, is it difficult for the trees to drop their leaves that they have been nurturing for a year? Or a snake to shed his skin that has protected him for so long? Perhaps it is easier if the future is known and the knowledge of new life and new things is on the horizon.
Be assured that there are new things on the horizon. There are always new things on the horizon with God - healing, fulfilled promises, blessings, callings, fresh vision. God gives good gifts to His beloved children.
He told them this parable: "No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an old one. If he does, he will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, 'The old is better.' " (Luke 5:36-39)
