Renewal

February 27

(Luke 5:37-38 NIV) “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. {38} No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins.”

(Psalm 51:10 NIV) “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

(Isaiah 40:30-31 NIV) “Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; {31} but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.”

(Romans 12:2 NIV) “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

(2 Corinthians 4:16 NIV) “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.”

All things age, but in Christ, all things can be renewed. When we are born again, we are like newborn infants. But immediately, we begin to age. To avoid becoming old wineskins, we must continuously renew our spirits. Renewal is not an option if we want to live in Christ -- it is a necessity. The spiritual giants of Scripture knew this -- the Pharisees did not. They failed to renew their minds and their wineskins became hard and brittle. There will be seasons in our lives when God is shifting things. Blessings and trials will come our way. In going through these God-ordained times, we will experience both shrinking and stretching. If we are inflexible, we will be unable to grow spiritually. Jesus can renew our aging wineskins if we will allow it. We can be renewed daily if we let Him live, and breathe, and work in us. Pray for renewal. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day