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 9:17
Have you ever heard of Hillsong Worship? Have you ever seen them live? You have to make it happen because that is a show you do not want to miss. They have so many powerful and talented musicians, including Brooke Ligertwood. Brooke just recently won a Grammy for her song “What a Beautiful Name”. During the show, Hillsong played one of their new songs called “New Wine”. This song has stuck with me and I cannot stop thinking about it, so I’m going to just go ahead and write all about it. Please play the song below while you read through the rest of this story.
I fell away from my faith for a while. I was not a good example to others of what Jesus looked like. The last three years here in Texas have been a big change for me. I saw success. I saw failure. I saw blessings. I saw pain. All in all, I continued to feel God pulling at my heart and I jumped all in. I decided to fully commit my life back to discipling others to Jesus and helping this world see the light. This song not only has a great story to it, but it relates with what I am going through so much. Here are some lyrics from the song:
VERSE 1:
In the crushing
In the pressing
You are making new wine
In the soil I now surrender
You are breaking new ground
PRE-CHORUS:
So I yield to You and to Your careful hand
When I trust You I don’t need to understand
CHORUS:
Make me Your vessel
Make me an offering
Make me whatever You want me to be
I came here with nothing
But all You have given me
Jesus bring new wine out of me
I want to try and remind everyone of a few things. Bad things happen, TO EVERYONE. Good people do bad things. Christians makes mistakes. People who are not Christians make mistakes. Unfair circumstances present themselves in everyone’s life. No one is perfect and no one’s story ever will be. But guess what, that is exactly where God looks. He has his eye on you while you feel like you are stuck in the darkness and He snatches you up. A lot of people God uses to do amazing things are people who don’t necessarily have it all together. People who have just been in a bad place. In the crushing, in the pressing, God is making new wine.
We often lean on our “understanding” that God should only allow good. If God is so amazing and such a powerful God, why do bad things happen? God often permits what He hates to accomplish what He loves. I have hurt people in my past. I have partied too much in my life. I have made many mistakes that people don’t see as “Christ-like”. That is the beauty of grace. Anyone can step into a relationship with Jesus and be wiped clean, ANYONE. The stories of my past are forgiven and forgotten. I can still use all of my mistakes and struggles and share why forgiveness is REAL! I can share how God uses the crushing and the pressing to make you into new wine!
God not only transformed me down here in Texas, but He transformed my entire outlook on life. He has cleared up so much of the windshield in front of me that was covered in dirt. He has given me a new perspective of what really matters in this life we have been blessed with. A life we do not deserve.
He has made me a vessel. He has made me an offering. I pray He continues to make me whatever He wants me to be. I came to this world with nothing, only to receive what He has given me. Jesus, I pray you continue to make new wine out of me. I pray you make new wine out of everyone that reads this story. Remind them that they are worthy. Remind them that you bring joy, hope, forgiveness and LIFE. Make us new wine.
