May 23 Devotion - New Vessels

“No one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins."

وَلاَ أَحَدَ يَضَعُ خَمْراً جَدِيدَةً فِي قِرَبٍ عَتِيقَةٍ، حَتَّى لاَ تُفَجِّرَ الْخَمْرُ الْجَدِيدَةُ الْقِرَبَ، فَتُرَاقَ الْخَمْرُ وَتَتْلَفَ الْقِرَبُ. إِنَّمَا الْخَمْرُ الْجَدِيدَةُ تُوْضَعُ فِي قِرَبٍ جَدِيدَةٍ».

Mark 2:22 

There are many interpretations of this parable which Jesus told. I understand it to mean that we cannot conform to the teachings of Jesus unless we:

·     Renew our thinking and unlearn what the secular world has taught us; and continues to teach us;

·     Allow Jesus to heal the past and

·     Adopt Jesus’ way of thinking.

In order that Jesus can pour His teachings into our minds, we must first empty our saturated minds of the secular teachings. The same way that you cannot pour any new tea into a cup that is already full, the new tea will just end up in the saucer. However if you empty the cup you can fill it with the new tea, or the good news, the Gospel, God’s amazing grace.

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, thank You for Your abundant blessings and Your unfailing, deep, and inseparable love for me.  Lord, help me today to become a new vessel. Help me through the Holy Spirit to release old thinking, old habits, old pains, secular beliefs, and anything that would keep me from being the best You created me to be. Strengthen me by Your Spirit O’ Lord and guide me so that I can live my life in a way that pleases You. Make me into a new vessel and pour Your Spirit into me Lord. Jesus You are the vine and I am the branch and I am nothing without You. Help me to abide in You. God I pray to You in the name of Your precious Son; The King of kings and Lord of lords, my Redeemer, Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, the power, the dominion, the majesty and the blessings forever and ever and unto ages of all ages.

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein