I really like the verse Matthew 9:17 and what Joel Osteen reflects on its meaning. If you pour new wine (your passion, faith and enthusiasms) into old wineskins (your "old" expectations) they will burst and fail. For this to work (and for your life to unfold the successes that God wanted for us) we have to get some new wineskins (new expectations without limitations). It is kind of like the old adage, "If you do what you have always done, you will get what you always have got!" Think Big, have faith and do your best and blessings will be forthcoming. In doing some online research on this verse another verse came through on a cross reference and I thought I would share it - Psalms 40:5 - Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which You have done, And Your thoughts toward us; There is none to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, They would be too numerous to count.
5 comments:
Frank, I agree with your post entirely. I also like the picture you used to illustrate it. (That picture was taken from the deck of a cruise ship on the Carribean.) I love that verse you used as a cross reference from Psalms as well. I am so amazed at God's wonders. I'm learning from my eighteen month old granddaughter Kaya to just enjoy all the wonders of life as they occur. We took her to the zoo last week, and she was so delighted with the animals that she would say, "See. See." Then she would wave at them and squeal. I want to share her childlike amazement at all the things God has created. I don't want to go through life zoned out. I think this desire to enjoy the wonder of the present moment is something new for me, like new wine. I want to put it in a new wineskin so it doesn't burst and leak out.
Frank, I was thinking some more about your post on Matthew 9:17. As you know, I recently lost weight (about two years ago) and to keep my new body, I have to feed it healthy portions of nutritious food, and I have to give it exercise. I like to think of the image of pouring wine into wineskins. If I would go back to eating huge portions and not eating the right kind of food, it would be like pouring wine into old wineskins which leak and burst. I want to think that I "have stripped off the old self with its practices and have clothed (myself) with the new self, which is renewed in knowledge according to the image of its Creator." Colossians 3:9-10. Pouring new wine into new wineskins is the way to go!
I like what you said about pointing at the awesome things God has done-- "SEE SEE" and squealing with delight. That is how I feel when I watch God work. It's amazing when we don't limit Him with our own expectations and step out in faith-- one leap at a time!
Wow! I'm so excited about your post, r4c. We can learn so much from children, I think. They are so innocent and bring that to everything they see. They don't take anything for granted b/c everything is so new to them. I want that childlike wonder in my life too.
"Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved." (Matthew 9:17)
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