Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Triumphant Victorious Reminders
Inspired by the Holy Spirit
By: Teresa Criswell
"And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. The old wineskins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine must be stored in new wineskins that way both the wine and the wineskins are preserved."
~ Matthew 9:17 ~ (New Living Translation)
One of my favorite television shows, "Extreme Makeover Home Edition" is amazing to watch. The transformation from old and decrepit to brand new and "without words to describe" beauty!The restoration we capture on the television right before our eyes as we first watch the demolition take place. I am captured as I watch the skilled professionals from the builder to the carpenters, electricians, plumbers, artists, decorators, designers and volunteers all at work to see their handiwork as a whole at the end of the show.
Can you imagine them trying to complete the makeover on the existing house with existing issues? That sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? No matter how awesome the skilled professionals were, there would be no beauty to behold when the house was supposedly finished. Of course that seems "silly" to ponder, yet we try to live our lives that way many times. An example could be by justifying why I still choose to live out certain things in my life when I know it needs to be "demolished" out of my life; it does not belong in my life.
As I watch this show I am reminded consistently of God's beautiful handiwork over our lives when we allow Him. Can you imagine this scenario? OK, imagine the shows producer from, "Extreme Makeover Home Edition" calls the potential family that will be a recipient of the Makeover and briefs the family on what will happen. Then, the family who needs the makeover desperately, says, "I'm sorry, but we are going to have to decline your offer, I can't allow you to demolish the existing house; too many memories." Hopefully this scenario has never happened, yet we attempt to live our lives that way as well and unintentionally we do not allow The God of the Universe to mold us into what we need to become for His glory.
We must allow the demolition and restoration to take place in our lives. For when those trials attempt to come after our faith in God, our joy and peace in and from Him, we will be able to stand and persevere as we have a New Foundation on Christ Jesus. When we stay in the Master's hands and are obedient even when it is most difficult, we will see restoration, transformation and beauty take place that are beyond what we could ever imagine, hope for or dream of.
Many times that old thing that we try to hold onto is the very thing we need to let go of so that God can replace it with His greatness over our lives. This is very difficult but at the end of the day it will be worth it, for we will hear, "Well done my good and faithful servant."
I pray I let go of what does not belong to me and hold onto only those things from and of the Lord. We need to remember that our lives are to be an effective force for the glory of God for others to see and experience in their own lives!
May we learn, know, and experience the restoration power of God in our lives.
Inspired by the Holy Spirit
By: Teresa Criswell
"And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. The old wineskins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine must be stored in new wineskins that way both the wine and the wineskins are preserved."
~ Matthew 9:17 ~ (New Living Translation)
One of my favorite television shows, "Extreme Makeover Home Edition" is amazing to watch. The transformation from old and decrepit to brand new and "without words to describe" beauty!The restoration we capture on the television right before our eyes as we first watch the demolition take place. I am captured as I watch the skilled professionals from the builder to the carpenters, electricians, plumbers, artists, decorators, designers and volunteers all at work to see their handiwork as a whole at the end of the show.
Can you imagine them trying to complete the makeover on the existing house with existing issues? That sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? No matter how awesome the skilled professionals were, there would be no beauty to behold when the house was supposedly finished. Of course that seems "silly" to ponder, yet we try to live our lives that way many times. An example could be by justifying why I still choose to live out certain things in my life when I know it needs to be "demolished" out of my life; it does not belong in my life.
As I watch this show I am reminded consistently of God's beautiful handiwork over our lives when we allow Him. Can you imagine this scenario? OK, imagine the shows producer from, "Extreme Makeover Home Edition" calls the potential family that will be a recipient of the Makeover and briefs the family on what will happen. Then, the family who needs the makeover desperately, says, "I'm sorry, but we are going to have to decline your offer, I can't allow you to demolish the existing house; too many memories." Hopefully this scenario has never happened, yet we attempt to live our lives that way as well and unintentionally we do not allow The God of the Universe to mold us into what we need to become for His glory.
We must allow the demolition and restoration to take place in our lives. For when those trials attempt to come after our faith in God, our joy and peace in and from Him, we will be able to stand and persevere as we have a New Foundation on Christ Jesus. When we stay in the Master's hands and are obedient even when it is most difficult, we will see restoration, transformation and beauty take place that are beyond what we could ever imagine, hope for or dream of.
Many times that old thing that we try to hold onto is the very thing we need to let go of so that God can replace it with His greatness over our lives. This is very difficult but at the end of the day it will be worth it, for we will hear, "Well done my good and faithful servant."
I pray I let go of what does not belong to me and hold onto only those things from and of the Lord. We need to remember that our lives are to be an effective force for the glory of God for others to see and experience in their own lives!
May we learn, know, and experience the restoration power of God in our lives.
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