Like wineskins in the smoke

"Though I am like a wineskin in the smoke, I do not forget your decrees." (Psalm 119:83)

This is such an interesting image to contemplate. 

Perhaps we can't relate to the habit of carrying our water/wine in wineskins anymore, but we can still picture the practise of the Israelites doing this. When the Psalmist uses this simile, he refers to the idea of an empty container that has shrivelled up through contact with smoke in the home. 

And this is how many people feel at the moment, especially as regards their spiritual and emotional lives. We feel as if we are empty - and that our lives are shrivelled/dried up by the constant demands of the world around us. 

Thankfully, there is some good news. When we feel like this, we must remember the words of the Lord and turn our eyes to Jesus. As we allow the 'Living Water' to fill us, so our hearts will be revived, and we will be able to face the challenges of a new day.

John 7:38 - Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

New ways

Very few people enjoy change. A handful of pioneers seek out change, but the majority of us take some time to embrace new ideas. And of course there are small group of us who dig our heels in and refuse to accept change at all. I am not sure which group you fall into, but it will usually be in 1 of these 3 groups.

As a Christian community we also confront change - sometimes not as quickly as we should, but we do encounter change. A quick glance at the book of Acts will show us that the early church dealt with changing situations on a weekly basis. I strongly feel that in order for the church to grow and to be Incarnational, we need to be dynamic. Our Message should never change, but the medium we use should be scrutinised appropriately.

·      “When we follow Christ, we must be prepared for new ways to live, new ways to look at people, and new ways to serve.” – Bible Commentary

    Jesus was a pioneer of change and look how he changed the world. 

¹⁶ “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. ¹⁷ Neither do people 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

Living in Grace
D3LM3